Wild Folk: Population Insane
by Kreegan64
Summary: "I said that I would be his friend. I promised. I regret it, but now...it's too late. I fear he will kill me..."   I am using as the main character, Ai, I couldn't find her in the character selection   Read and review if you'd be so kind.
1. Chapter 1

_[Why hello there, I am your author tonight(day) and I will be telling you a story on how creepy that little blue devil stalker can be in the game called Animal Crossing. It doesn't really matter which, for they do not really have any real plot, so imagine whichever you desire. What? Who's this blue devil of which I speak? Why I'm talking about Rover of course.]_

_Prologue_

This world has a great many people, a great many _diverse_ people. How diverse? Well, there are people who live in the workforce, helping create a better future; there are people who live by giving those people work to do, like CEO's; there are the one's who live simple lives in mainly animal-populated villages, not a worry in the world; there are also people who live for death, yes death, they live to take other's lives, they're sole purpose is for the kill. Now these people, as you can plainly see, are not smiled upon for what they do, so they hide, blend in with the rest of the world, and preform their dark deeds unguided and fatherless. Why do these people do these awful atrocities? Why, it's because a great multitude of reasons, some do it for money, some for pleasure, some out of fear, some out of hatred; there is never just one reason for their non-niceties. But do you know what? They can be generalized into one, convenient group; do know what it is called? It is called crazy. How can you know if someone is crazy? How do you know when someone, like your neighbor or your family...is crazy or not? Now that is a question I learned to answer through life experiences, and I would gladly share it with you.

Chapter 1: Greetings and Salutations

My name is Ai, and I am a girl who has just moved out of her parents' house. It's really exciting. I going to miss mom and pop, but I just had to leave the city, I can't stand those large cities, I had to move. I'll keep in touch with them and all, I just had to get away from all the people, and the cars, and all the buildings and-ugh!

I moved to an animal town, I heard that they were small, quaint, and very green. Just like how I like it. It's not that all the buildings and people are _that _bad, it's just that I can't seem to make very good friends in that sort of environment, so I think this will help.

_I thought that I was going to live the easy life from then on. I was wrong._

I sat there, in the darkness. I didn't like the darkness, or rather, what could be in it. I counted off the seconds in my head, my eyes might as well have been closed it was so dark. There was no sounds other than the ratta-tatta of the train on the tracks and it's occasional tooting. I wanted this part to be over.

Then suddenly a wave of light poured in like a wave. It blinded me for a second, but that was alright, the darkness was gone, that was all that mattered. I then looked around at my surroundings. All was the same: the nearly empty train had its bare emerald-colored seats, its birch floors and frames. In its entire self it had naught but me and one other. It was an elderly looking boar, she was snoozing next to a big basket full of...turnips?

I almost giggled at the silly randomness of the character, if the rest of the community was this diverse, I think I like here already. I continued to observe my surroundings, there was not much else to do. I noticed something though, at the end of the car train, I could see through the window, something blue. It moved, someone was on the outside of the car. I didn't remember someone else being here, I didn't hear anyone move when we were in the tunnel, we were in the caboose, too. I quickly just shrugged it off.

After a while I became bored. I thought of the date, time, and year. It was going to be autumn soon, I like the autumn, it was always so cool and peaceful. I continued to fantasize of the changing world between the seasons. Then the door at the back opened, and in came a cat, he was blue and white in color, and he wore a red sweater. He had large red eyes, and a Cheshire-cat smile. He looked around the car, as if looking for someone. His eyes came upon me, and his smile grew bigger as he made his way towards me. He was small, even for a cat he was small; he looked adorable.

_Yeah, I thought he looked adorable, I thought he looked friendly. Looks can be sooo deceiving_

He came over and as he did he seemed to be much shorter than I at first anticipated. He was probably as short as I was, and _that _was saying something.

"Hello, how are you, mind if I take a seat?" He asked with a kind tone.

"Huh, Oh! Go ahead, I don't mind!"

"Thank you, it's nice to see that there are people with manners in this world, especially a huma-ah, I mean i-in these times. Oh, where are my manners, I am Rover. Who are you?"

"I'm Ai, I'm just moving out from my folks'. Yeah, just about everyone in the city is rude, that's partially why I left."

"Ya don't say, and where, if you don't mind my asking, are you heading to?"

"A small town called Animal Forest" 

"Really? I have some friends in that town."

"Wow, really?" 

"Yeah...hm, you don't seem to have a lot of baggage." He said as he looked at my single, medium sized suitcase in the overhead racks. I didn't have that many things, I didn't need that many things.

"Oh, no. I don't really have much, only the very basic things."

"Ah, a practical person, down to earth. Unlike most people, who seem to just leave through the front door and wing it, you have a plan."

"Uh...actually..."

"Oh...I'm sorry, I didn't mean anything by it."

"It's quite alright."

"But you at least have some money, right?"

"Uh..."

"What, no place to stay and no money? What are you going to do?

"I'll get by, I think."

"...Ai, have people ever called you...a dreamer?" I felt a little flustered, he was right, I didn't even think about a place to stay. "Well then, I guess it's a good thing that you ran into me. I can help you out."

"Really? Oh thank you"

"No problem really, it's my pleasure, so if you'll excuse me." He got up and walked back to the door of the back of the train car. He went through the door, and shot me a smile before closing the door. I heard beeping, probably from a phone, and then his muffled voice. I leaned my head over to the side to try and hear better. I couldn't hear much, something about a _shortened supply_..._another one_...and something like _tell the boss. _I quickly sat back up as he came back through the door and into his seat.

"Well, your set. My friend will meet you when you depart."

"I really can't thank you enough, I mean it's just-"

"It's nothing really, what else are friends for?" 

"Friend?"

"Sure, I mean, if you want to be. In these times, many people are very rude, many untrustworthy, and many just unpleasant. It is good to try and get many friends as possible. So, do you want to be friends?"

"Yeah, alright."

"That's good, I am always wanting to make new friends, all the time, but it seems most of them stab me in the back later."

"Oh my, that's horrible"

"It's alright, those friends don't stay for very long, they leave. I seem to lose friends more than I can make them."

"Well, I'll stay your friend." Rover then looked up, his smile still in tact as it was before. He just silently stared at me. It was beginning to give me the creeps.

"Do you promise?" He finally responded in a silent whisper as if it were to be a secret. His smile still unmoved. I was starting to feel really weirded out.

"Uhh...yeah..."

"Good...very good." He said in his whisper as his head slightly tilted to the side, his smile was still there. I began to wonder if this cat had some sort of mania, he seemed to always be smiling. He turned his head to the window. "Oh, looks like we're coming up to Animal Forest!" He exclaimed.

"Already? Wow." I said as I reached up to grab my bag from the rack. I had some trouble reaching it, it sucks being this short.

"Do you need some help?" Rover asked, obviously amused by my futile attempts.

"No, I got it." I responded, somewhat offended by his tone. It's not like _he_ do any better. I jumped a little and managed to grab the handle, and as I came down so did the suit case. A little too hard. _Wham!_ It hit the table, and then landed on the floor, spilling its contents.

"Ah, dang it!" I yelled.

"Here, let me help." Rover said. We began to pick up the my stuff. I hurriedly searched for something specific, something that I couldn't let Rover see, I had to find it before he did.

"What's this?" He asked. I hesitated, then looked over, he had it, exactly what I didn't want him to see in his hand. "Is this...is this a night light?"

"Y-yeah" I answered meekly. I really didn't like the dark. He smiled a big smile on his face. "I-its not like that, I-I just, I just-"

"It's alright, Ai." He said assuringly.

"R...really?" 

"Of course it is, we all have our own little fears. In fact, I'm not too fond of the dark myself."

"Really?"

"Really really. Not too fond of spiders either." My spine chilled at the thought of the hairy beasts.

"You and me both" I said. I then felt a little concerned. "You're...not going to, like, I mean you won't..." He looked at me for a second with slight confusion, then smiled.

"Of course I won't. I won't tell a soul."

"You promise? Cross your heart?"

"I promise, cross my heart. What else are friends for?" He answered as he crossed his heart and slightly tilted his head again, his smile still on his face. His smile was beginning to make me feel more than a little uneasy.

He waved goodbye through the window as the train left the station. I had mixed feelings about this departure. I don't know why, but I felt a little uneasy around him, he was always all...smiley, and he acted a little weird. But he was also very nice, and polite, and he was my first friend in years. I had hoped I would meet other animals that were as nice as him, maybe not as maniacal, but as friendly.

I shortly met a raccoon who wore a apron and had a big gut. He had said his name was Tom Nook and that he had been called by a friend about my arrival. It was the landlord. He had talked for forever and a half about how he was pleased to meet me, about how he was the landlord, and about how he had a shop, and...lots of other extraneous details. After he was finally done he took me to his shop and gave me a map to show me where the open houses were. I looked at them carefully, then pointed at one next to the river.

"Ah, yes, that house. It has a wonderful view of the lake from its angle and has the most wonderful of convenience. Y'know, the last human to live in this town also picked that house. It will have a gyroid and mail box as per standard, inside you will find very few furniture, which you can buy for the cheapest prices in town in my store (not to mention the only prices in town) Be sure to talk to your gyroid at the end of each day before you go to bed. Either that or select the save button..." His voice turned to back ground noise as I groaned inside my head, he sure loved talking.

Afterwards, he led me to the house (talking all the while) and then gave me the key.

"If you lose your key, tell me about it, I can help find it or make another one."

"Okay."

"And, now. About your mortgage." He said, rubbing his hands together. I began to shiver nervously. I had no money. He soon found that out.

_[And with that you've read the first chapter of my first published fanfiction. It may be boring right now, but I promise that it will get better…or maybe I should say it will get more interesting, whether or not it will be better is a matter of opinion]_


	2. Chapter 2: A bad dayand night

Chapter 2: A bad day…and night

_[Chapter 2 of my story. I hope that you are enjoying yourself here. I had fun writing it, I hope that you have fun reading it, enjoy, my little cupcakes.]_

I looked around at the surrounding trees. Then looked at the map. Almost no resemblance. I sighed in exasperation; if was one thing that I would miss from the city, it's its uniform layout. Even with a map it was hard to find places. I scratched the back of my neck again; this work shirt was giving me a rash. I had agreed to work for Nook to help pay her massive debt to him. He was making me do all sorts of odd jobs: like delivering furniture or other orders to the citizens, meeting everyone, writing things on the town's bulletin board, seeing the mayor. It wasn't all that, I think, one was particularly excited and energetic; Gabi was her name if I can think right now.

Now I was heading to another villager. Their name was Chief, and I was giving him his axe, it was a brand new axe, with a walnut handle and shiny blade. It was heavy, and was making my shoulders sore. I looked once more at the map, then at the trees. How does anyone get around?

I looked around in some worry and a little frustration. I was lost. I didn't like being lost, not in a city and definitely not in a forest. I looked around and back and forth at the map and my surroundings. In my frantic search I noticed something, something blue. I looked harder, it looked like...

"Is that my axe?" I jumped from the sudden voice that was behind me. I looked over in a panting fright, it was Chief. "Don't get a heart attack over there, uh... Mai was it?" My heart was still rushing from the scare. "Hello, hello? Jeez, one would think that you saw a ghost."

"What? Oh, no, I-I just, I just." I looked back over; nothing. I had thought I saw Rover. I looked back at Chief, he was a very large wolf. He stood an entire head higher than I, and he had scruffy looking fur that gave him a ragged look, and had red and white colorings that made him resemble a fox partially. His facial expressions, as I saw from before, were between indifferent with a tinge of annoyance to a bad-day scowl.

"Hey, Chief did you by any chance see a..." I said looking back to the spot where I thought I saw Rover.

"I see that you have my order."

"What-oh, yeah! That'll be a 10 bell fee for the direct delivery"

"What? Since when was there a fee?"

"I-I, I mean, that's what- that's what Nook said."

"Ah! That cheap cad." He said as he folded his arms and lashed his tail, he was annoyed. "Well, I don't have any money on me right now, is it alright if I go back to my house and get some?"

"Uh, I guess. Oh, wait! Can I come with you, I'm new here, well as you already know, because we met earlier and- and, well-"

"You're lost." 

"...Yeah." He sighed and remained silent for a minute before answering.

"Fine."

We were walking through the woods silently. I had, at many times, tried to make conversation, but Chief wasn't a social person, he would give only grunts or one-word responses. He seemed more interested in his new axe, which he was swinging around, testing it in many ways. He tapped the edge of the blade, and a trickle of blood traveled down his finger, he stuck in his mouth casually. I wondered about the event when I thought I saw Rover.

"Hey, Chief?" I asked him as he was testing the weight balance of his axe.

"What?" He responded absent-mindedly, still examining at his axe.

"Is there a cat in this town, a blue cat?" He looked up to the sky in thought.

"...Well...there's that one chick, goes by something like Rose."

"Rosie?"

"Hm" he confirmed while he scratched the back of his ears with the handle of the axe. At his inability to remember Rosie's name, I remembered when he told me about how he had just moved there a couple of months ago. I thought about it, it couldn't have been Rosie, she was too light of a shade of blue, and didn't have any white. But it couldn't really have been Rover either. He was somewhere else, the train rotation would take it weeks for it to get back here. There was a single track, and that kept the travel limited, which wasn't too bad, no one really traveled much.

We arrived to his house, and he invited me in...I think. He gave me a cup of milk and then the fee for the delivery. Afterwards when I was about to leave I remembered how I got lost.

"Hey, uh, Chief?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you know how I could find my way back to Nook's Cranny?" He thought about it for a second, then responded. "Just follow up the river until you see a cherry tree, then go west from there and you should get there."

"Okay, thanks, Oh, and thank you for the milk, it was delicious"

"Mm hm."

I left then and then went towards the river. It was starting to get dark. I needed to head home. But I had to check in with Nook first. I found the river, the went up it until I found the tree, then went west. After a while I came to the Nook's Cranny.

"That took you forever, Ai. You're not goofing around out there are you?"

"What, no, i-it's just that I g-got lost and-"

"Nice try, but I gave you a map. Look, I don't mind you taking your time, but don't lie about it."

"B-but...okay"

"Alright now, I had another job for you, but it's too dark now. Go on ahead to home."

"Alright then, good night Mr. Nook"

"I've told you, call me Tom."

"Okay...Tom"

I headed out of Nook's Cranny, and then to home, It was relatively close by. I could at least manage getting home without getting lost. This town was more like a jungle with houses randomly assorted in it than a town. I saw that the last of the sunlight was just about gone, the darkness was coming. I didn't like the dark.

I walked at a quick pace, in order to get home in time. I made my way to the river, then upwards, there was a bridge that I needed to cross it to get across the river. I found it after a few minutes. It was an old and worn bridge, it creaked loudly and had part of its left hand rail missing. It spanned the long width of the river, about 80-90 feet across. The bridge itself was only wide enough to accommodate 2 maybe 3 people shoulder to shoulder. I couldn't help but feel scared as I walked along it. It creaked with every step, as if threatening to break at any second. I walked as carefully and as light as possible, and then when I was half way through it a board broke. I screamed as I sunk slightly. My foot was caught. I pulled on it. It wouldn't budge. I wanted to pull harder, but I was afraid that the rest of the bridge under me would give out. I tried to think, what could I do to get out.

I tried to think of something, I thought of maybe trying to break the boards around my foot, but that could cause the rest to probably break. I thought it over, but then I heard a creaking sound. It was louder than all of the rest. Uh oh. The bridge gave out. I fell into the water, ice cold and unforgiving.

It felt like being in a pool, while being in a moving car at the same time as the current pulled me about. I could only think to reach out to try and grab something, and to keep my head above the water. I don't know how long I was in the water, felt like forever, but it couldn't have been, I found that out when I grabbed a root sticking out of the side of the river bank. I pulled my self up. As soon as I crawled out, gravity came back and I felt heavy. I closed my eyes because my hair was all over my face. I couldn't see a thing. Then I heard something, it sounded like footsteps. I was knocked down, they had run into me. I moved the hair from my face; no one was around. _What a jerk _I thought. How do you see someone drag them self out of a river, and then just go and knock them down, even if you were in a hurry, how could one be so inconsiderate.

Then I realized that it was night. My breath was taken away. Someone was lurking in the dark, I knew that much, and that someone was possibly one who had probably just robbed someone and then ran, not seeing me they probably had crashed into me. The thought of a criminal being nearby in the dark sent shivers down my spine. I had to get home.

I had wondered around for ages it seemed before I found any house, shivering all the while, not only because it was the dead of night and I was completely soaked in water, but also because I probably just had an encounter with a criminal. The house was small. No lights were on, but I needed to try anyway.

I repeatedly pounded on the door, I had been for about 15 minutes; no one was answering. This was the only house that within a visible vicinity, and I wasn't about to go wandering about some more. I was slamming my fists on the door as hard as I could. I at first had knocked on their door and waited politely, but no answer. I then knocked harder, and then occasionally pounded on the door, and then constant pounds. I was desperate; I needed to get somewhere safe, and warm. The door opened while I was in mid swing, and I hit Rosie right in the face, sending her to the ground.

After a long session of apologies and _it's okay_'s we sat down having hot chocolate. Her eye was swollen some.

"So the bridge finally broke and you fell in the river, and that was after being lost and then getting scolded by your boss for not doing anything and after all that some meanie, probably a criminal, in the dark knocked you to the ground...Wow, I don't envy you _at all,_ silly"

"Yeah, guess I'm just having a bad day, but do you know what? I bet tomorrow will a very good day to balance out for this day."

"You're so positive, that's good, I can hardly stand people who are always negative, I mean like, get real y'know, silly?" She said as she took another sip of hot chocolate. Her eye was beginning to swell really big; it almost looked closed when she had it normal. I couldn't help but feel so bad about hitting her. She was so sweet, and so friendly. We continued to talk about...just about everything. Rosie could go through 20 unrelated subjects in a minute.

"So that's why school programs should only, be like, 3 days of the week, silly. I bet this would've, like, never ever happened to you if there were only 3 days of the school week."

"Uh..."

"I'm so excited, silly. This is, like, a surprise sleep over or something! Dontcha think?"

"I think it's about time you- I mean _we _lay off the sugar."

"Yeah, you're right, we'd like, get as fat as cows and stuff, we'd also never be able to sleep, which would totally mess up the sleep part of sleepover dontcha think? Wow, I like, didn't even think about that."

"Yeah, wouldn't want to become insomnia-maniacal cows"

"Wow, professor, too many big words and stuff, silly." Her eye seemed to be only getting worse.

"How's your eye feeling?" 

"Oh, good. I hardly even notice it now."

"Are you sure? It seems to be getting more swollen."

"Yeah, like, totally. I don't even notice."

"I think we should put some ice on it anyways, to reduce the swelling."

"It's alright, silly"

"No, really, I insist." I got up and pulled a plastic grocery bag out of a box that she had in her kitchen, and then went to her ice box and began putting ice cubes in it.

"No, it's okay, silly, it really is."

"I insist, it could be swollen for weeks if we don't do something now."

"Nah, it'll be okay."

"I seriously think that you need this, so if you'll just hold still for a second."

"It'll be just fine, it's alright, please stop."

"It'll just take a second, if you'll just hold still"

"I really don't want the ice please, stop, silly." _Crash!_ One of their cups had fallen and shattered on the floor, spilling the hot chocolate on the floor.

"Oh, I'm so sorry, I'll pick it up!"

"I got it, don't worry about it." We both got a rag and began to try and pick up the pieces of the cocoa drenched shards of ceramic. We rushed as the cocoa would stain her hide carpet.

"Ow!" I cried as I felt a sharp sting on my finger. I had cut it on one of the shards while I was busy rushing to try and pick up the cocoa. It hurt even more since the piping hot chocolate had gotten in it. Rosie took my finger and stuck it in her mouth. She had a strange expression on her face as she held it in her mouth...for a few seconds too long. Then I felt another, even more sharp sting as she bit down on my finger with her sharp feline teeth.

"Ow! What was that for!"

"I-I'm so sorry, i-it was an accident!"

"How do you bite down on my finger that hard by accident?"

"I'm so so sorry, it was an accident, I swear, silly. I'm so sorry" Her eyes kept on going back to my finger, like how a starving person would food or something. "I swear it was an accident, silly, I'm so sorry."

"Alright, it's okay. Let's just get to sleep now; I guess we can call it payback for me punching you."

"I don't like paying back though, silly."

"Alright, then we can say you thought it was a chocolate bar since it was it was covered in hot cocoa." I said, trying to lighten the mood. She didn't like that thought any more than the first, and maybe even less, I could tell by her face, but she stayed silent. Still, she looked like she could apologize a thousand more times.

_I wondered why she acted that way towards my cut, but didn't think it was anything big. How naive could I have been?_

"So...where do I sleep?" I asked her after an awkward silence after we finished picking up the cocoa. In fact, where would either of us sleep, I didn't see a bed anywhere, not even a couch that could be used as a makeshift bed.

"Oh, yeah!" she jumped up. Already back to her cheery self. She ran to a chest and began digging in it. She was tossing out a bunch of leaves, looking for one in particular. I had never seen so many leaves put in one container.

"Here it is!" She exclaimed as she pulled out a leaf, it was brown and crinkled.

"What...is that?" I asked.

"It's your bed, silly."

"But...it's so old"

"Only its leaf." She tossed the leaf on the ground after eyeballing the leaf and a certain part on the floor. _Poof! _Smoke of a chalky white came from the leaf and disappeared just as quickly as it had come. A large bed was in its place when the smoke was gone. It was very large. It was queen sized, a size that I had not seen for years, decades. I was amazed at the size of the bed. Then grew a little concerned.

"Where are you sleeping?" I asked. I didn't want to sleep in her bed while she slept on the floor. She then walked over to a closet, opened it, and a bed creaked out of it, it was a single. It looked like it was stolen from a prison and crudely stuffed in a closet to look like a convenient piece of furniture. I stared at her to see if she was serious. She only gave her cheerful smile before saying

"Good night, silly!"

"Rosie, I can't take this bed while you sleep on that stuffed burlap sack"

"What? What are you talking about?" She asked in genuine confusion.

"Are you telling me that you are going to give me this fancy bed to sleep on then pull out a curtain that was stuffed and stitched together for yourself"

"Oh, don't worry about it, silly. I always sleep on this bed, I like it better. I took that one from my parents when they were about to toss it, I didn't like it and stuffed it in the chest a long time ago. I only keep it because it's so rare, it's like, a collector's edition or something, silly."

"Well, alright, if you want to" I thought about my conversation with Chief, when I had asked him about the village for blue cats.

"Hey, Rosie?"

"Yes?"

"Have you been in the woods today, like, within the vicinity of Chief's house?"

"Chief? Oh, the new guy, well, has been new guy, now you're the new one...Hm...actually" She paused and scratched the back of her head in slight embarrassment. "I haven't been out all day...ya see...I was kinda playing my NES all day. I was trying to beat my old record on _Balloon Fight, _which is kinda hard when not playing 2-player mode."

"Oh, alright"

"Why?"

"No real reason, I just thought I saw you"

"Really, that's really strange, silly. Oo, maybe I have a twin, and we were separated at birth, a-and she found out about me and now she's looking for me. Oo, what if she came over? Then it would be like, an uber-surprise sleep-over as well as, like, a family reunion or something. And then-"

"Rosie."

"Yes?"

"Good night."

"Oh, right, it's time to sleep, and I keep talking, so then you can't sleep and then-"

"Rosie."

"Oh, right. Nighty-night!" She turned out the lights and we went to sleep.

_[This is my second chapter. I am going a little slow with the presentation, but it will pick up after this chapter. I also have to let you know now that this is supposed to be a thriller-type experience, but I couldn't find it in the categories. You will see how it is a thriller more in the next chapter.]_


	3. Chapter 3: The shadow

_[So this is it, where I try to make the horror/thriller part kick in, I want to keep you in the mood, so let's just cut to the chase.]_

Chapter 3:

_Bunk _resonated through the house. I jumped up. I looked around, I could barely see. The only thing visible was the faint light coming from the windows. I wished that I had my night light. The windows were so faint that one would need to look in their general direction for a second before even realizing that there was something there. It was completely dark. I felt my heart beat as I felt vulnerable and helpless.

It had been a few hours since we went to sleep. It was now sometime around midnight.

"R-Rosie?" I called silently into the darkness. There was no response. "R-Rosie, w-was that you? Rosie" I whispered, still no response. I felt alone and open in the darkness, I couldn't see what was, or in this case, wasn't there. The feeling of something that could be coming at you and you don't even know whether or not you're alone...in the dark, anything could be there. That is when the most frightening of things came out.

I opened my mouth to call once more. _Blunk! _Something had just rammed into the window. I looked and very faintly saw a figure that was at the window. It looked like someone, or maybe something, but whatever it was, it wanted to get in. My heart skipped several beats as it shifted around, looking in through the window. Its hands were up against the glass, as if trying to reach through it. It was at the window on the other side of the room, the one right over Rosie. I wanted to wake her, partially so that she could get away from it, but also because I didn't want to be the only thing nearby that was aware that something was out there, and that it wanted to get in. I hesitated, in fact, everything inside me was screaming _don't move, don't make even a sound _But I decided to anyway, I needed to.

"Rosie?" I merely whispered, she wouldn't have been able to hear it if she was awake and wanted to. But the shadow's head jerked, its pointed ears twitching. I knew that it had heard me and was now looking in my direction. In a heartbeat it sped away, faster than anything I've ever seen. I heard it's heavy and quick footsteps as it dashed around the house. Towards me. It was only a second before I heard _BLUNK!_ It had hit so hard into the window behind me that I would've sworn that it would have shattered.

I didn't want to look at the window behind me now, where _it _was. I had to, to keep my sanity as I could hear its heavy breathing as if right behind me, I could almost feel it. I had to make sure that this was real. As slow as death could have ever been I turned my head, trying not to move too much. With every small increment I moved my heartbeat went up, so loud that I swore that it sounded like a drum. I finally was facing the window; it's light a little more clear than the ones across the room, and with it, the shadow. I thought I would've died from the terror I felt as it seized my body like an electric chair. It had claws, whatever it was it had claws, and ears that were large. Its fingers were splayed and at the end of each one, a distinct, curved claw was on them, extending at least an inch. It's ears were huge, like a cats' ears.

I felt like I was in a nightmare, but the only thing was, I knew it was all real, that someone or some_thing _was out there waiting in the darkness, where I could scarcely even see my own hand in front of my face, let alone it. I also knew that it was impossibly fast, and that it had claws. I looked at where its face would be, to see if I could see any familiar features. I looked for a few moments then I saw something, it was almost invisible, as if not there. But visible enough to only let know that it was there. I continued to stare. Scared to the point of breaking down, but I couldn't pull my eyes away.

My vision remained dead focused on them. Until I realized what they were. My heart had stopped, it had used up all of its beats by the time when I saw that the objects on the shadow's face were eyes, barely visible at all, to the point where you probably think that it was just your eyes playing tricks on you, but I knew that I was staring at this thing's eyes. They were just visible enough to make their presence known...and to show that it had its wide open, non-human eyes...staring straight back at mine. It knew where I was, it was practically on top of me. All I could do was stare in silence as we continued to look into each others' eyes. It could see the immeasurable fear in mine, and I could see the malevolence and anger in its.

I could only watch as its hands slowly clenched, making its claws screech against the window as its breathing got harder. It ran, I heard its heavy and fast footsteps make its way to the front in moments. Then the door began to shake violently, as something was tearing at if from the outside; something that was wanting to get to me. I heard a scream, a scream so horrible that it sounded like something was dying in pain and fear. I then heard the footsteps fade as the creature left. But the screams stayed. The lights turned on, but I could still see only darkness.

"Ai, Ai, why are you screaming? What's wrong? Ai!"

Calls nothing but faint mumblings as I saw the door, still shaking, something trying to get in. Then cold...I felt cold, and...wet. The door was back to normal, it had been for some time. The lights were on, also had been for a while. The thing was gone, and like the others, it had been gone for a while. Only I my eyes, ears, heart, and mind did not know that until now. I looked around and saw Rosie. Standing at a distance in her white night gown, scared out of her wits. She held an empty cup, and was looking at me with great fear and concern.

I looked down at myself; I was completely soaked in water, though I didn't feel it much. Heard something, wheezing. I realized that it was from me breathing, and then I felt my throat ache. I had screamed so loud that it hurt to even breathe now. It felt like my blood was rushing to my head, I lost balance as I tried to get up. I fell. Rosie caught me, helped me sit down on the bed.

"Ai, are...are you feeling okay now?" I could hear her fine now, but felt a little woozy still, my body was having a hard time recovering from that level of fear that I didn't even know was possible.

"Y...yeah, I think so...I just feel...dead." Words came with no real meaning, no real thought.

"What? Dead! You're scaring the shit out of me, Ai. Please, stop." I only heard the curse word.

"Sh..shit?" I asked. I'd never thought that Rosie would even know of those words, let alone use one. I didn't even know that I said that word.

"Here, let me get you some more water."

I eventually came back to complete consciousness. Rosie had been asking me questions, but it wasn't until just recently that she got meaningful answers.

"So, you're not dying or anything, right?"

"No, I'm...unharmed."

"So, why were you screaming like that, I mean, like, I've never heard anything so...frightening, so loud, so...real." I thought it over in my head.

"I had...a nightmare...a night terror." I lied.

"Really, are you sure? It sounded like you were being...attacked or something."

"I'm sure, it was only a night terror. I need to just stay awake for the rest of the night."

"Don't be silly, you need your rest."

"No...believe me, they only get worse the more I try to sleep."

"Oh...okay then...should I get back to sleep?"

"Yeah, no need to have us both awake because of my night terrors."

"Okay then, well...good night, silly."

"Sleep tight." She went over to the light switch. Just as her hand reached the switch I snatched her hand and held it tight; tighter than what I ever thought I could do.

"Ow, you're hurting me, silly. Let go."

"Don't turn off the lights!" I snapped in a harsh and urgent tone.

"Ow-what?" 

"Do not turn off the lights."

"Why?-ow!"

"Just don't, trust me."

"Alright, okay, just,like, lighten up on your grip."

"What?"

"You're hurting me!"

"Oh, I'm sorry, it's just that, just that. I've been known to have night terrors when awake, just by being in the dark." I lied again. I didn't realize the death-grip I had on her.

"Okay, I won't turn off the lights, silly." I apologized once more. As she walked back to her bed she said.  
>"Though, since the lights are on and everything. I'm probably not going to be able to slee-zzzzzzzzz" She fell asleep as soon as her head hit her pillow. I had lied to her about what happened, I had to. I felt like if that thing, whatever it was, it was after me. The way it looked at me, with those wide open eyes. Eyes that for some reason felt familiar. If I had told her I feel that I would put her in danger too.<p>

I looked at Rosie as she snored. She was so peaceful looking...in a sloppy, happy-go-lucky kind of way. I looked around at her house. There were a lot of useless things, it was kind of dirty too. I decided that it would be best that I do something while I was awake.

I watched the sun make it's slow rise, rinsing out the shadows that had haunted me. I looked around Rosie's house once more. Everything (with the exception of Rosie herself) was now neat, orderly, and organized efficiently. I looked back at Rosie, she was twisted in a stretching position. Back concaved and her arms and legs reaching out. She looked like a sleeping kitten.

I had left before she awoke, I had to. It was time for work. I was sure to lock her door. I went straight to where I thought Nook's Cranny would be. I got lost. Though I somehow managed to run into Chief again. He seemed to know where everything in the village was, even though he had just moved here a month ago. I wanted to be like that, so that I wouldn't get lost like that. I made it my goal to be able to do what he could do in only a month. But first I had to get to work.

I had spent most of the day planting flowers around the Cranny. I had secretly kept a bag for my house. I don't think Nook would mind. He didn't even notice that only four of the five bags were planted. He complemented me on my landscaping talents. After work I made my way home. I looked at the sun as I walked. It was starting to set. I got home and quickly planted the bag of red cosmos. The went to my front door. It was locked. I reached inside my pocket for my key. It wasn't there. I searched my bag, my hat. It was gone. I went back to Nook to see if I had left it in my uniform. Nothing.

"Ai, is that you?"

"Oh, hello Mr. N- I mean Tom. I'm sorry, I know that it's almost closing time and all, but I can't really-I mean I just have to...It's just that I can't find my house key, and it's getting dark and-"

"Whoa, there calm down there. Slow down. I can't hear you well. Your key is missing?"

"Yes..."

"Well, you should have come to me first. Have you searched everywhere?"

"Yes, but I think it fell in the river."

"Why would it be in the river?"

"I fell in yesterday when I."

"Oh my. Ai, you have to be more careful. It would be absolutely _horrible_ for this town if you were lost."

"R...really?"

"Of course. Who else will pay your mortgage? Harharharho!" He was only kidding, but I felt a little worthless anyway. "I'll make you a new one then."

"T...thank you?"

"This one will be free of charge, but next time it will cost a 150 bell fee."

"Okay."

"These keys just don't grow on trees after all, they cost money, both for the material and to work the machine that makes them. Back when I was a kid, we used to have to make them by hand, and _that_ was a lot of work. It would cost a whopping 1,750 bells to get one made."

"Oh my"

"Oh my indeed. That's when I was young, but even then I knew the value of money. Most people my age then would get a few bells and spend them on the nearest candy or comic shop they could find. Not me, no siree. I would save them up, and do…." His voice trailed off as I unconsciously blocked him out.

He had walked me to my house while he talked. I didn't hear what he said, but I liked that he was talking, for once. It would be very awkward and a little scary if it was silent, allowing my thoughts and fears to take hold. Though even his cheerful voice couldn't keep my paranoia of what happened last night. I looked around cautiously as I walked with Tom.

The sun was nearly gone. The shadows would be coming soon. I began to shiver. I went closer to Tom. He was still talking. I looked around us, and saw nothing. _It's alright you're safe with Tom_ I began to think, trying to remain calm. It actually began to work after a few minutes. I felt safe...r.

"Ah look at this." Tom said, stopping at a star-shaped crack in the ground. "This little crack in the ground here usually means that there is something interesting, I wish I had brought my shovel. If it's a fossil, there's a museum nearby that would pay big bucks for it. If it's a gyroid, well, they're still worth a good sum of money." I was actually listening this time. I was in a fix for money, since I was trying to work off my house. I thought about maybe getting a shovel and looking for such cracks.

My heart beat faster. I felt something, some ominous presence. Something was behind me, I could tell. It was the feeling of that night at Rosie's. I wanted to just run, but instead, I looked slowly behind me. In the distance. Just far enough to not be able to see detail in this poor light, but close enough to know. In the distance, next to a tree, there was a shadow, its head tilted slightly to the side as its pointed ears twitched. It was the one from the night before. It was following me.

"Mr. N-Tom, Tom!" I shrilled. Looking away from the shadow and towards him. Without looking away from the crack he said.

"No need to shout, I'm standing right nex-" 

"Tom look, hurry!" I interrupted, pulling him by the arm, making him turn. "Over there, that thing is following us. I pointed and looked over myself. It was gone. After a minute of silence Tom broke it.

"Should I tell the tree to stay put? Harharharhoho!" He could laugh at it, but I knew what I saw.

"Tom, something stalks us. It was but a shadow but I knew its intent."

"Ooo, sounds scary. You should write on that; there are some horror authors that rake in millions of bells with words like that."

"Tom, I'm serious!" I snapped loudly. Tom stopped his joking and looked at me, surprised. "I-I'm sorry, I-I jus- I just. I need to get home."

"...Uh...Okay." He said, this time not so open and jolly. We walked in silence. I couldn't help but look back every now and then. I would see nothing, but I knew that something was following us, a shadow. Tom, after a while, began talking again. He began talking about how the government was always trying to find another way to tax people, or in this village's case, trying to tax period. They couldn't find a legally justifiable way to tax us though. His voice quickly faded from my consciousness.

"What's this?" Tom said, interrupting himself. I looked over. The broken bridge was blocked off with boards and a sign that read: _Out of order_.

"Isn't this the bridge that you used to get to work?" He asked as he inspected the bridge. I didn't use this bridge anymore for obvious reasons, but I had been too distracted to realize that we were heading to this one.

"Uh...no"

"Then how did you get to work?" He asked, somewhat impatient.

"I-I take the bridge up the river."

"Why didn't you tell me that you took the one up there earlier?"

"I was...distracted." He then sighed, but he understood.

"Alrighty then, let's start turning back."

"Back? You mean like back there?" 

"Yes, that's where we came from, that's how we can get back to the fork that leads to the other bridge, and that's where we're going."

"But the thing that was following us."

"Don't worry, I may not look it but I can fend for myself, and for others too, Harhar."

"I...I don't know." It took a little longer for him to convince me to go. We walked. The feeling, it grew stronger. My heart began to beat faster, my breath became heavier. All of this was rising steadily as we walked back. It rose higher and higher, to the point of me holding Tom's arm to constantly remind myself that he was there. It rose higher and higher...then dropped, like a lead weight. In a moment, I felt nothing, it was gone.

After Tom had dropped me off at my house, I offered him a drink. He declined saying that he had to check up on his boys, whom he had left to 'hold down the fort' while he walked me home. He wished me a good night, and then reminded me about that writing horror stories idea.

"I'm just saying that you should consider it, you definitely creeped me out something terrible, and that is an accomplishment in of itself, Harho! And some of those authors don't even hardly know how to write, but they make millions cause they know how to write creepy like."

"Okay, maybe I'll check into it." I said, but would probably never do. I wasn't ever one for writing.

After he left, I began to feel a little scared, what if it came back. It was night, and I lived far away from anyone, _everyone_ lived far away from anyone. I locked the doors and windows, and then barricaded them with what little furniture I had. I slept on a work-out mat that I had bought the other day, from a weasly-looking fox that called himself Crazy Redd.

I held a baseball bat that I had brought with me from home. I used it to reach things that were too high for me, as well as a hammer, and a lot of other things. It was a fairly versatile tool. It was fairly small, though. Its length was a little more than 2 feet. It was about as thick as a hose. I had gotten it as a souvenir at a baseball game years ago. It wasn't much, but it was all I had that could be used as somewhat of a weapon.

I stayed up as long as I could, which wasn't very long considering that I had only slept for a few hours the night before. I had the lights on, all of them, even my night light was plugged in. I woke up the next morning, and to my surprise, I saw no signs of something even touching my house. I went to work and did my day to day things until it was almost nightfall. Even though I was sure that it would come and get me, there was nothing. As I walked home, all was alright. I never felt its presence, I never saw it. I went home. I went to sleep, though I barricaded my house as I did the night before. I dreamed of Rover, and of Rosie, and of Gabi, and everyone else in the village. We were all holding hands, and singing. It was...happy, very happy and peaceful. Something that I had not felt in a while.

I awoke the next morning feeling refreshed and happy. That even surprised me. I went to work. Went throughout the day normally. And went home again. I dared to only lock the door this time, and not barricade the house. I woke the next morning, same as when I slept.

_[So...whaddaya think? I tried to make this one more exciting than the last two, I had actually thought of the most frightening things I could think of while in the dark alone at night to get myself in the scary mood...which had consequences since I sleep in a big, dark basement all by myself, lol. But I think it was necessary to make this part. Also, if you remember the curse word, I put it in there because I feel that this fic had not earned the M-rating that I had assigned it. I had to at least put something by the third chapter.]_


	4. Chapter 4

[Here is chapter four, that's if you're still with us. I know that the last one had not much of an ending but I really wanted to give this part as the beginning of this chapter. So here is the fourth chapter to the story that will make you afraid to play animal crossing at night, lol.]

Chapter 4:

For the next few weeks, I was safe. I had no feelings, I saw nothing. I had no worries. It was as if a bad nightmare had ended. I felt secure, happy, and like things were going to only get better. I made my way to the Nook's Cranny. Ready for work. I walked along the woods with my hands outward. Like how I did when I was happy.

I came to the old bridge. I saw a new, half replaced bridge. I also saw a raft tied to one of the posts; on it was Chief. He was repairing, no, more like rebuilding the bridge. He was breaking and chopping off old, brown pieces of wood and letting them run down the river. He had put all new posts sticking out of the water, and had almost finished taking down all of the old boards and replaced them with new ones.

"Hey, Chief, good morning!" He merely waved a little with his axe. I was becoming better friends with everyone, including Chief, though it may not have looked like it from the way he hardly responded. I thought that it was good that he was hired to fix the bridge by the mayor. He loved working with wood and it got the recluse out of his house.

I continued on to the Cranny. I could almost sing, I don't even know why. The past few weeks have been the best I've had in a while, a _long_ while. Not that I've been miserable for the months, it's just that they've either been so-so or like that night at Rosie's. But now, everything was just so great. It's strange. I can think back at that night like how one would a nightmare. It felt...fake. But I knew that it was real, but it was distant.

_Bump. Oof! _I had walked right into the store. I was so lost in my thoughts that I had forgotten about my surroundings and walked right into the store. I quickly then went in through the door. Tom was standing in at the register.

"Oh, Ai. It's you." He said, sounding rather disappointed.

"Uh...yeah. What is wrong?"

"Well...you see I don't don't really know how to say this...you see, you have been working here for weeks and...well. You see..." He paused for a minute. "Well...y'know how you've been fixing up this store for the past week, well...you kinda done everything there is to do."

"So..."

"So, you're kinda...not really needed. You've payed off all that you could with this job. There's nothing to do anymore. I'm not going to let you pay off your debt by just breathing in this store, y'know. So...you can go."

"But, how will I pay off the rest of my debt?"

"Don't worry, I'm not going to be real strict, there won't be any weekly fees or anything. Just try to pay it off as soon as you can. There are surprisingly many ways to make money in this town. Just gotta have the resources and the street smarts."

"Oh, okay." I was a little sad. I liked working here; it made me feel like I was doing good on my own. I also liked the store, and Tom.

"Oh, and you can keep that uniform if ya want, free of charge (No one would want to wear it anyways after you have been for weeks) So, that's that. I am no longer your employer and you no longer my employee."

"Alright then, I have found some ways to make money, I think I'll do alright."

"Okay, good. The last employee I had started crying in the open when I let them go."

"Oh, my. That must have been unfortunate."

"It was really more sad..."

"Okay...well, then see ya later."

"See ya. Oh- and one more thing." I stopped to listen. He put a scowl on his face."You better call me Mr. Nook from now on, or else I'll send my raccoon goons on ya." He got the reaction he wanted. "Oh harharharharharharhohohohoh- I'm just kidding with ya. Harharharhohoho!" I shook my head, always the kidder.

I walked back to the bridge. There I saw Chief sitting on a tree stump, taking a break. I walked over to him. He saw that I wasn't wearing a uniform.

"Playing hooky there, kiddo?" He said casually as he took a sip from his drink that he had in a thermostat.

"What? Oh, no. I got fired today." I said cheerfully, exaggerating on purpose.

"Hm." He said in response, acting as if all was normal. "Hey, since you don't really have anything to do anything. I could use some help."

"Sure."

"Alright. In about two hours I could use another pair of opposable thumbs to help chop some trees for wood. I'm running kinda low here."

"Alright, just tell me where."

"down by the left side of the lake, there are some oak trees, that kind of wood would be best." He said before taking another sip.

"Okay, I'll meet you then." I had bought and axe and had helped him cut down some wood about a week and a half ago. That is when I learned that he liked working with wood. I had bought an axe with a walnut handle. It was a few days after that night at Rosie's. I had practiced swinging it in defensive ways, and had kept it under my pillow. After a few days I had stopped, it had become a tiresome practice. I had eventually just left it under my pillow.

I met with Chief at the lake in a few hours, with my axe. We had started at the biggest tree and began and chopping at it from both sides. We had cut it down after a few minutes. We had to keep it from hitting the ground because then it would disappear into thin air. We put them on a large table where we then cut up the tree.

After a few hours we had cut down half a dozen trees. It was getting dark. We decided to leave the wood for tomorrow. It wouldn't likely go anywhere while we slept. Chief and I walked with each other until we came to where our ways would split.

"Hey, hold on...I...I have something...for you, to give you." Chief said before I was too far.

"Really? You have something for me?" I wondered at what it could be. I felt a little excited; Chief had never shown much socialization. I was happy to have finally been able to get him to be more out there.

He pulled out something from his pocket, and held it in front of me. It was small. It was something made of wood. It was my own image, carved into wood, and with incredible detail and accuracy.

"Oh, thank you, Chief. I-I don't know what to say." I said as I took it into my hands and marveled at it.

"Nothing, not a word to anyone."

"Oh, okay." I guess he still wasn't that good with social skills after all. He then looked around as if this were illegal. He then began to scratch the back of his head.

"I guess... I guess this means we're...friends" He said, with much hesitation and reluctance on the word _friend_. He was looking away; not at anything in particular he was just shy. I could almost hug him on how much this meant to me. I didn't because I didn't want to risk losing him when he was starting to leave his lonely shell.

"You don't know how glad I am to hear you say that." I said. I held the carving up and stared at its polished surface. It reflected the light like a mirror. It shone with a golden hue as the last rays of the sun was setting. I then remembered that it was getting dark. I didn't like the dark.

We then split ways and continued on to our homes. I walked at a fairly fast pace. I may not have been paranoid anymore, but I still very much preferred not to be in the dark.

I quickly made my way home. I came in, and locked the door. I then went to my journal that I had on an end table. I wrote of my lost job, and my newly strengthened friendship with Chief. I looked around my house. It was still small, but I had bought some furniture and wallpaper and carpet. It was now looking like a comfy little home.

I decided to stay up for a while longer. I sat down on a box in front of another box, but the box in front of me had two pieces of twine that protruded from its top, and it had small knobs on its face, as well as a screen. I turned it on, and little white and black dots chased each other across the screen of the box. I searched for a clear channel that wasn't in Spanish.

I finally came to one. On the screen it showed a white female adult cat in fancy clothes walking at night. She was being tailed by a black dog that hid in the shadows, a stalker. The movie went about this cat, who was a famous singer, being followed this dog, who was an ex-convict. He was obsessed with her, and he was crazy. In the end he killed her in her sleep and stole her dead body. Escaping from the police and holding a secret wedding in his basement, in a house in the woods.

I thought that the movie itself was creepy and scary, but rather pointless. I knew that her death had a symbolic meaning, but the majority of the movie was her trying to escape her stalker and ultimately death; and her dying in the end just wasted almost two hours of my time. I hated endings like that, I wondered why it didn't just take the ten minutes to kill her off and get it over with. I also didn't like the stereotypical symbolism.

I looked at the clock. It was time for bed, it had _been _time for bed. I didn't have a job, but I still enforced a strict curfew. I turned off the box with antennae and was left in dark. Still frightened somewhat from the movie; I turned the tv back on and used its light to get to the light switch.

I changed to a sleeping gown and went up to my bedroom. It was in the attic. I got up there and turned on the lights. I went to my dresser next to my bed and got my night light from it. I then placed Chief's gift on it. I got under the covers as I turned off the light and plugged in my night light. I felt a little childish and silly each time I did, but I could not be in the dark. It was too much for me, or rather my mind, to bear.

I easily fell into a deep sleep; allowing my sore arms and hands to rest and my mind to fall to silent joy as my mind left my body. Life was getting good; it had been getting good, what I didn't know is it had been good...for far too long. The balance was disrupted. I would soon find that out.

_Bunk _I heard, it woke me up. I groggily sat up. _What was that?_ I wondered slightly. It sounded somewhat familiar. Where did I hear...I felt my heart sink as my memory recovered the sound. I-it couldn't be. The sound...I could hear the faint sound of speeding footsteps. _Bunk! _It came louder this time. It was coming from downstairs. My heart began to pound on my ribcage. I heard heavy breathing; it was mine.

I looked at my bedroom door; it was open half way I think; it was just out of range of the night lights blue eyes; only the edge could be seen. I looked in the opening, and saw nothing but the darkness staring back at me. I began to wonder if it was nothing.

_Crash! _I heard. something smashed through the window, and I heard it hit the floor hard. It was inside now. I wanted to move. I wanted to scream, but it was like my body was frozen in shock; it wouldn't move. It was like watching a movie; nothing could be done.

No sound was heard, not for several minutes. The seconds seemed like hours, the hours like long, endless night, 24 hour cycles of the moon that had no distinction. Then the creaks of my floor below me could be heard. Slow, steady steps walked around down those stairs. I hoped that by some miracle that they would stay down there, like how a child would wish for the world to become a place full of sunshine and rainbows.

I knew that I wished in vain. I heard the footsteps reach the bottom of the stairs. The footsteps began up the stairs after a slight pause. With each foot step I heard them get increasingly louder. I heard my breathing sound like a dying person's; gasping for their last sweet mouthfuls of air as they drifted away in an ocean of which they could not swim.

"Stay back." I heard a whisper escape from my mouth. But the steps only came closer. They only grew louder as I stared into the nothing of the darkness that hid behind the door. I saw nothing, but I knew that it was there, I knew that it had come back for me.

The steps had much time in between them. Time in which I thought my mind would rend itself apart from madness; only relieved by knowing that something was still there by the creak of the steps; by which then fear would take uphold and choke me even more than it already had.

I couldn't breath. The creaking got louder until I could hear it as if it were talking to me: saying that it was coming for me. My body seized up. The creaking stopped. It was there in the darkness behind the door, but I still saw naught. The door wasn't far enough from my bed all of a sudden. The night light wasn't bright enough. The door wasn't closed enough.

I then saw something. In the darkness two dim circles of light appeared. It's eyes reflected the light. I could feel it staring at me; wanting to get to me. This wasn't any movie. It was real. I heard nothing but saw the eyes move towards me as silent as death.

Bleeding fear struck my heart as the door creaked open; sounding like the screams of a madman. Screaming as if to attack. I saw the gleam of claws as the shadow placed its hands on the door to move it; destroying any sense I had left.

It stood there, out of sight and only a shadow in the dark. Its eyes glaring at me with an anger and hatred that caused my lungs to fail; I gasped for air.

It walked in a symphony of death into the dim light. I saw its white feet first, and then its blue legs. The dim light exposed the shadow completely. I felt my body freeze as I saw the familiar face upon a blue cat. I could hardly believe it.

"R...Rover?" I asked.

His insidious glare was comparable to that of death. His mouth slowly formed a gnarly and twisted smile, but not one of happiness or satisfaction. His mouth wreathed back in anger and hatred. I was very confused, almost as much as I was scared.

"Rover, what are you-"

His hand lifted suddenly, as quick as death. The light went out in split second; but I saw his body enveloped in the darkness, each second like a minute as his face darkened to nothing, his smiling, hateful face. I heard the quick beat of footsteps. I felt hands try to squeeze the life out of my neck as a crushing weight rammed my body. I then remembered the axe and pushed the weight off and reached for the axe under my pillow.

As my hand barely had time to grasp I felt the darkness grasp my ankle and yank me as it I were a rope tightened around a hangman's neck. I felt myself fly through the darkness and crash into something hard; it fell over and I lost the axe from my grip. Instantly I heard pounding of the running shadow. I could hear my heart pounding away at my insides like it was trying to break out. I could scarcely tell the difference. A shock of death overcame me as I felt a grip take me and throw me across the room. I hit the wall. I heard nothing but my own breathing and blood pulsing hard, trying to break my veins to run away.

I got to my hands and knees. There was nothing that could be heard, or could be seen, or known, only felt. I felt that hatred saturated the air as I tried to breathe, but my lung wouldn't listen. My mind listened for anything, making me hear sounds that weren't there, see things that weren't there. My hands I felt moving, they were looking for the axe. I closed my eyes as if to hide. After a while I felt wood, a wooden handle. I pulled it to me as a familiar weight and curve set in my hands.

I needed to stand, I needed to. I couldn't find the strength in my legs, they shook and struggled, but could not lift myself. I didn't know where I was in the room, not where the walls were, or the shadow, I was in an endless nothingness with a shadow nearby. I heard someone.

"Where are you...Where are you?" The voice whispered into the darkness, as if calling for a name.

"Where are you!" My throat rattled itself from screaming so loud. I realized I had called out, but not to speak, but to know if I was still here, if I was still living.

"Why, I am right here, with you." I heard a harsh and malevolent voice hiss behind me. A jolt ran through me as I swung the axe behind me. I hit something, but not with the blade. Then the axe was yanked from my grip as if it were nothing. I fell forward as the force pulled me off my knees. I instantly got up and backed up until I hit the wall with a loud _thud!_ I had hit a wall. I wanted to close my eyes tight, but I knew that I would have killed myself like that. I felt fear overtake me like a fire as I could only wait there for him to attack.

Nothing. I stared out into the nothingness. It wasn't as dark as I had thought. After a while my eyes adjusted to the dark. A dim light came in through the window, like when at Rosie's. It put some dim, almost invisible hue on things. I strained my eyes, searching. I saw the doorknob on the left. I saw my bed knobs on the right. I strained to see if the shadow was around. I looked at anything I thought was an irregular shape. Then my sight came upon two dim objects. I froze. I looked into the eyes that hated me, that glared back at me wide open. It knew I could see it.

A slight gleam came up from the darkness. He had lifted my axe. I couldn't even think of anything, I couldn't move. I could do was hear as I heard those heavy footsteps pound the floor. It was a split second and I only had time to put my hand if front of my face as I knew what was happening. My body jolted into a panic. My heart had wrenched in on itself hard. If I didn't die by my own axe, my heart would do it. I felt my blood suck towards the middle. It made me lose what sensibility I had. I felt a sharp and painful sting in the back of my neck. I could feel myself drift away.

I jumped up. It was morning. I was in my room; as I had left it when I lay to sleep. I looked around in a cold sweat as the golden morning light came in from the window at an angle and hit my room. I heard myself breathing hard.

Was that…a dream, no a nightmare. I thought about it, it had to have been. I rubbed the back of my neck, it was sore, but it wasn't bleeding or swollen or anything. It felt so real though. I thought about it, and came to that it was just a dream. After all, the events that happened reminded me of that movie I watched last night, they were comparable…ish.

I decided that I would no longer watch scary movies before bed. I began to get ready for the day, and hopefully it would be a lot better than my night. I didn't like scary dreams

_But even then I still questioned if it was a dream…I had a right to…_

_[Just to clear up any potential confusion or misconceptions…no this was not an attempted rape, it was an attempted murder. So with that I feel like this fanfiction is actually going somewhere now. I hope you're enjoying yourself if you're even there, hello. Again I was up at night scaring myself to get this to sound as best as I could do, I feel I did comfortably, and this time I didn't lose any sleep, yay.]_


	5. Chapter 5: The Lucky amoung us

[Here is chapter five; I really hope that you guys are enjoying these, at least to some extent. I should have said this earlier, but I wrote this fanfiction based on a CYOA topic I made on the GF boards of Animal Crossing 3DS. It was based, and if you were to go and read it, you would see some similarities, but I am making the ending completely different. Stick around and you will see how different it will be. EDIT: I have corrected all of the major mistakes I think, and added some parts that I accidently overlooked. Hope this edition may help any possible confusion that may have occurred.]

Chapter 5:

I stuck my head out the door; I was being very cautious, due to my dream. I wasn't even sure if it was a dream. I wanted to just go back in and lock up all my windows and doors and just hide in my house, but I had a job to get to. I had to pay off my mortgage somehow. I got ready and left my house, making sure that all of my windows and doors were locked.

It had been a couple of days since that night in the bedroom, but I couldn't be too careful.

I looked around as I walked along the path. I looked at the golden pillars coming through the arms of the trees from the rising sun. The trees stood tall and the grass glimmered in the coming light of the sun. It all seemed so peaceful, but I felt anything but peace. I looked around nervously. I wished someone else was here with me; it would be at least some comforting.

_I got what I wished for… sorta._

I looked around, as if expecting someone, or something to attack me at any minute. I began to wonder if I should have brought my axe.

"BOO!" a figure jumped out from behind a tree. My mouth opened to scream, but before I could I swung my fist, and it slammed into the face of Lucky. He fell to the ground, arms and legs splayed. I stared, wide-eyed. I didn't mean to knock him out cold, he had just surprised me.

I looked around to see if anyone else was nearby. I was alone with this unconscious dog. I didn't know what to do. I began to walk away quickly, but then stopped, and looked back to him. I walked back to him, but then remembered my job, and turned back around. Then I looked back at him again. I looked ahead, and then back to him.

Walking along the pathway; I looked down at the dirt and panted heavily. I stopped to try and catch my breath and put down Lucky; sitting him against the trunk of a tree, and then setting myself on a nearby stump. I breathed heavily as I looked at Lucky again. He wore mummy-like wrappings that covered his entire body with the exception of his single eye, his left eye.

_Well, at least I finally have some company_

The thought came into my head. I could almost laugh if I had a lung to do it still. I felt really out of shape having to take a break from carrying a dog around. He was a small dog, too; it would have been understandable if he was a bigger dog, but he wasn't.

I felt ready to just leave him there. He was just so heavy, or maybe I was just weak...no he was heavy.

"Okay, Lucky. Break's over" I said to the unconscious mummy dog. I chuckled at the irony of his name. I grunted heavily as I lifted him up back over my shoulder. A slight sting resonated in my shoulder as the dog's weight returned; it was sore from carrying his weight. Maybe I WAS just a little weak.

I began to alternate him between my shoulders. It helped some, but then they both began to feel the effects of his weight. I really was fragile. I needed to work on that, but first I needed to get to work.

I had found some work over at the Able Sister's workshop. One of them had sprained their wrists or something and couldn't use it for a few days.

I saw the Cranny and almost jumped in joy, but a certain mummy prevented such an action from happening. I approached the Cranny and saw the small shape that was Tom Nook standing in front, looking out like a look-out.

"Now where have you been!" He began as he stalked towards me, bearing a scolding parent's glare. He began pacing back and forth.

"What?" I asked him, genuinely confused.

"Mable called me saying that she couldn't find you anywhere. You can't just go promise someone that you'll work and then just go and disappear like Houndini." I looked at him as he continued to pace back and forth.

"That's the problem with you kids these days. You don't appreciate anything. A nice and poor couple of sisters offer you a job, paying you from their own pockets."

"Uh, Mr. Nook?"

"Ya come practically on your knees, begging for a job, with your droopy eyed puppy looks, promising to work hard. I know, I've had plenty of kids your age to work for me over the years."

"Mr. Nook, I-"

"That's what gets us, and as soon as we drop our guard, you start slacking, showing up late, uniform dirty, and that's if you wear it period. You waste time, and time is money. And when money is scarce that is a truly bad cup of joe."

"Nook!"

"But oh no, not on THIS old coot's watch you don't. I won't sit idly by as you take advantage of the kindness of the Ables, I'm-"

"TOM!" My sudden outburst startling him some; he finally looked over, and his expression quickly formed a surprised and confused look.

"Whoa, what are you doing? Who's that?"

"It's Lucky. He had…he had an accident." Tom looked at me funny for a few seconds. "What?" I asked.

"I know I said that you should do anything for money, but I didn't mean _anything._" He said after a while.

"What?"

"I mean sure, kidnapping is good money I bet, but it's just not right to get blood money from another."

"What, no, I'm not-I'm no…Tom, he needs help!"

"Alright, alright. But this had better not become a normal thing. This is a store, not a medical clinic."

We had put the mischievous pup on a bed upstairs. Tom said to put him on the pineapple bed because his using one would take away that brand-new quality and lower the value, and since no one would buy it anyway it was the best one to put him on that one. He placed an icepack on his head, and afterwards Tom said he would watch him while I went to work and said to hurry. I would come and check up on him after work.

I made my way to the Able sisters shop. I knocked loudly. Nothing. I knocked again, nothing again. I was tempted to bang continuously but last time I did that, Rosie got a swollen eye. I decided to wait a little while longer.

I sat there for about 20-30 minutes, waiting. I looked up and down the path and around the shop to see if they were out; I didn't see anyone. As I began to walk back I noticed a crack in the ground. I remembered Tom telling about how they usually held valuable items like fossils or…something-roids. I had bought a shovel a while back and I pulled it out and began digging.

I dug until the hole was as deep as my knee was high. I found some sort of rock that was covered in, well, more rocks, and dirt. I stared at it. It looked very unusual, and unlike any rock I've ever seen. Was it a fossil? I looked at it intensely; I guess I would have to find out by going to a professional.

"Um, what are you doing?" I heard a female's voice ask. I looked up to see the face of a blue porcupine. There was another one behind her, but she was brown and looked a little older. It was the Able sisters.

"What are doing in that hole?" She asked again.

"Uh…digging." I said nervously. I looked down, my clothes were covered in dirt.

"Is…is that the one?" The brown one asked. She had a quiet and reserved voice. Her sister looked back at her and nodded.

"I think so, she's the only human in town."

"But she's so filthy. How can she-"

"Hush, Sable, don't be so rude." Mable then turned back to me. "C'mon, give me your hand." She pulled me out of the hole. We formally greeted each other, except for Sable, she could hardly look me straight in the face let alone speak with a volume loud enough for even a mouse to hear. She seemed to be really shy, even more so than what I thought from when I first saw her.

Mable showed me inside and gave me an apron to cover my dirt-clod clothes, she then showed me where I would be working for the next few days. Mable was very kind and patient.

"Sable will tell you how to work that old machine" She then turned her head towards the brown porcupine, who seemed to be unsettled at the thought. "Right, Sable?" She asked. Sable seemed to have a problem with my having to use her sewing machine.

"Mable, how about you work the machine and she can tend to the sales?" She almost whispered.

"Enough of that now, Sable. We talked about this; you remember what happened last time."

"Well, then I could work it. My hands don't hurt that much, really."

"No Sable. You heard what the doctor said, not for a few days, or else it'll get worse." Sable then remained quiet. "Sable?" Mable asked again after a few more seconds.

"…okay…" Sable said meekly.

Sable gave me very specific instructions, but she did so so quietly that sometimes she had to repeat herself; at times attempting to just show me how it's done, but Mable kept an eye on her and prevented such actions. Sable looked sad, like as if she was a mother watching her child getting taken care of by another woman.

I felt a little bad for her, but if I didn't do it, then she would try to do it, and as her sister said her injuries would get worse. I looked at the bandages on her hands, it looked a little much for just a sprain, and how did she ever sprain both of them?

I wasn't a medical expert or anything, so I just guessed that maybe it was some stuff that I just didn't understand. She continued to make many comments or tell me how to do things right. I didn't think that back-seat sewing was possible, but she was doing it. I found it a little amusing.

By the end of the day I had almost fallen in love with her. She was like a little child in the body of a grown woman. She was a little shy and reserved, but talked enough whenever she wasn't talking to you directly. I adored over her little shy actions and little side comments. I would've hugged her when I left if I didn't know that she would be completely embarrassed by it.

As we said our last goodbyes I walked off to the pathway. I waved as I left and saw Mable in the distance, standing at the front door of the shop and waving back. I saw Sable's face in the window.

It was late, really late. The sky was dark, it was about 11 PM. I wished that someone was with me, I'd even carry them if I had to…maybe, I just didn't want to be alone. At least a light would've been nice.

I made it home as quickly as I could and turned on all of the lights. It was nice to be surrounded by familiar settings again. I looked down and realized that I had forgotten to give Mable her apron back. It was an ugly gingham apron, similar to the ones that they wore, but it was yellow. I wondered why they wore such ugly things when they made such beautiful clothing. I wondered why they had three aprons when there were only two of them.

I quickly went on to other thoughts as hung up the apron; I would return it tomorrow. I went into my kitchen and got some left-over fruit from the fridge. Afterwards I went to the TV and wrestled with it to get a good reception. After about 20 or so minutes I gave up and decided to just head up to my room.

As soon as my foot touched the step it creaked loudly and with an eerie familiarity. I then remembered what had happened that night. I felt my body tremble as looked around. I felt beads of sweat running down my face like ice-cold rain.

I remembered the crashing sound. It sounded like they had to have broken in through a window, but the next morning I had checked and all were as they were before. It felt too real to be a dream, but felt too frightening to be real. The only way that they could have gotten in is by the front door, which was locked at the time, but they could have been a lock picker, this was unlikely but it is the only reason I could think of. How they made a crashing sound is beyond me, but that was hardly the matter.

I decided to take no chances and I barricaded the windows and doors again. A drastic step that I had not taken for a while now, but it would make me feel somewhat secure, and safe from what lurked in the darkness.

I had some trouble, but I eventually fell back into a somewhat deep and resting sleep. I awoke the next morning and everything seemed as before, but I was still cautious as I left for the able sisters' shop.

The sun rose and allowed me to see everything around me. I liked that, very much. I looked at the tall trees that towered over even the biggest of houses that I had seen in this village, and I looked at the small trees that were little bigger than myself. It was like a giant family of trees and flowers. It was so peaceful and beautiful that I found it hard to believe that some of the worst moments of my life could have ever happened around here. Or at least some of the worst nightmares I've had.

I reached the Able Sisters' shop and greeted and was greeted by them, or at least I was greeted back by Mable, her little black pebble eyes were bright and full of life all of the time it seemed. Sable merely mumbled something in response and didn't take her eyes off of the table which sat the sowing machine like that of a meek child.

As I got to work I felt my hands resonate slightly with soreness from the previous day. I wasn't even aware of it until I began working the machine again. It would only become worse as I continued to work the machine non-stop. I had a newfound respect for Sable's dedication to her work, she worked tirelessly every day, well, except for the next few days at least, but every other day after this it seemed like it would be her at this machine.

At around noon someone had actually walked in the store. She walked in and was greeted by the ever cheerful Mable. They at first looked at me and Sable in confusion, for I worked the machine while Sable didn't, but then quickly turned away from us and began browsing through the clothes that the shop had to offer. I watched intently as they looked from shirt to shirt, dress to dress.

Sable tapped on my shoulder rapidly. I looked back down at the pattern that I was stitching and saw that I had gotten way off path. I feverishly tried to correct my path, ironically causing an even bigger mistake. Sable and I tried to fix it, well, she tried and I tried to keep her from trying as to keep her bandaged hands from getting worse. We made quite a commotion.

"Oh my, what _is _that noise?" Asked the customer as she tried to peek over Mable's shoulder.

"Oh, nothing it's just that old thing acting up again." Mable said reassuringly, trying very deliberately to block off the customer's view from the commotion. "I'm sure it will stop any second now. Right Sable?" She said with emphasis on the right. We managed to fix it…sort of. If the wearer didn't mind having to segment their body in all sorts of odd shapes to fit the stitches then it was perfect.

Sable then kept a sharp eye on me, and would tap me almost admonishingly when I would stare off again. But I couldn't help but glance over at the customer every now and then; wondering if they were going to buy something or not. I saw them try some things on, and ask many questions as they continued through the selection of clothes.

She would continuously eye a white sunhat; she did almost as soon as she walked in. She would look at other things as well, ask questions, but would always glance back at that hat. I grew anxious as she would look at the hat longer and longer. I knew she was going to buy it, I just did. I was reminded by Sable again as I watched her try the hat on again. I grew more anxious as I stitched together the dress. I was so anxious about it because the hat was the first thing that I had finished making in this store, and now seeing it get checked out was…unexplainable, I guess it was like watching your child to school for the first time, or something.

I glanced over again to see the happenings of the potential purchase. The customer held the hat in one hand, and held her other to her chin in questioning and pondering. She eventually put the hat back down on the white head that it was resting on and walked out. I let out a loud sigh of disappointment. Mable had heard me.

"It's alright, that always happens, even to our most popular of choices. But that fact that it was checked out so prominently on its first day is a good sign. It's really well done" Mable said reassuringly to me.

"Alright, thanks I said." I said back, barely having enough time to finish before Sable reminded me to stay focused again.

By the end of the day my hands were dead. They felt like they were sore enough to never work again and they dreaded that they would have to go through this again tomorrow. As I began to leave the shop Mable said.

"You come back tomorrow now, okay?" She asked cheerfully.

"Okay, I will. I think my hands can survive one more day" I said, jokingly on the last part. I really doubted that they could, but they would have to.

"Haha, they'd better. If they can make a hat like that, then they'd better get to work. They're almost as talented as my sister's…almost." I wondered why Mable never seemed to work the machine.

"Hey Mable, why is it that you had to hire me to do the sewing? Aren't you a tailor as well?" Mable was at first confused at the question.

"Of course I am, it's in our blood. It's just that my luck with the machine hasn't been, well, lucky recently." She said nervously on the last part.

We said our goodbyes and I went home. I rushed for it was dark. The only thing I didn't like about that shop was how late it closed.

When I got home I struggled to be able to eat anything, and by the time I was done my hands were too sore to try and wrestle with the TV again. So I went to bed. Of course that was after I had made sure my house was well barricaded.

I got up early the next morning, but not too early as to it still being dark out, and went straight to the shop, well after the necessary things like bathing breakfast and such, and when I got there before opening hour they were having some morning tea before work; they invited me to join them. Mable had to hold the cup for Sable.

We had tea and some little bread-like things that were stale and tasted really dry and cold. The tea was really bitter, even for tea it was bitter, and had some clods of something floating around in it that looked like dirt. For their master-like skill in tailoring they couldn't really cook very well.

I decided to cook them some breakfast. I wasn't really good at cooking, but I could cook decent meals most of the time. I decided that I would make them some porridge.

After I made them breakfast it was nearly time to open the shop. Mable had to go outside to a shed to gather some new items to put on display. Sable and I began to warm up the sowing machine.

"Hey, Sable, did you take your pills yet?" Mable asked as she began to push the door open with her back, for her arms were full of yesterday's display items.

"Pills?" I asked.

"M-medication for her hands. Sable, did you take them yet?" Mable asked again with a great look of urgency on her face. Sable looked to the ground and shook her head.

"Well be sure to take them before noon today, alright?"

"Alright."

The day had started like the other two so far. I got to work (Much to the dread of my hands) Sable kept an eye on me, and Mable tended to the customers that had walked in.

As customers came in I couldn't help but notice whenever they noticed the clothes and things that I made, which seemed to happen with a greater frequency than I would've thought, and that would usually lead to Sable's insistent reminders.

By noon someone had actually bought something of mine. I could've thrown a party it was so exciting, but a scolding porcupine kept my nose to the grindstone. She was getting more and more strict, but she was happy for me, even though she didn't show it that much I could tell; they both were, but now was no time to celebrate. It was busier today than the other days I had been here, for whatever reason was unknown to me.

The sun was setting, that meant that the day still had some few good hours left before it would be closing time. The sudden rush had died down and it was less frantic in the shop, but that didn't mean I was able to slow down working. I swear my hands would end up like Sable's by the time I was done here, but that was alright. I had made some new friends after all: the cheerful, happy, and social Mable; and the meek, hard-working, and kind-hearted Sable. The experience of making a piece of clothing that actually sold was also a good memory that I wouldn't be forgetting any time soon.

Another customer had come in; they were coming in happy and goofy looking. It was Lucky. I almost hid underneath the table. I forgot to check up him after work that day, and would be embarrassed if he remembered me. I tried to hide my face as best I could when he looked my way. It didn't do much good considering I was the only human in town, and you'd have to be blind as a eyeless bat in the middle of the dark in order not to be able to recognize a human on first glance.

"Oh, heya Ai, how've you been?" He came running up to the desk. He didn't seem to remember that one morning. "Why are you working in here?" he asked after noticing the pattern I was working on. "Are you working so that Sable can finally take a break?" He asked as he looked over to Sable, who evidently wasn't very social even by her standards to customers that weren't well-known to her.

"Mable, please take care of this customer for us." She said without looking up from the pattern.

"Oh that's just like you Sable, always brushing off customers. How about you show the customer around for once? You won't need to use your hands, so it should be alright." Mable said, obviously trying to get her sister out of her comfort zone. Sable remained quiet and still looked down. "Hahaha, I'm just poking fun. I know you wouldn't be able to handle so much so soon." Mable said finally.

"Oh Mable, you're horrible." Sable remarked. Mable laughed again before noticing that Lucky had wandered to one of the items on display. She explained to him that he was looking at a fancy looking mustache when his gaze fell upon the head with said mustache on display. He tried it on and looked pretty funny in it. I had some trouble not giggling, or at least making it so that Lucky didn't hear it. Mable was able to hide it quite well.

"Oh, you look perfect in it! You look absolutely fancy, like royalty." She said with an encouraging smile on her face. Lucky fell for the bait and bought it, and he strolled about his mustache proudly. His attention was soon taken by another piece.

I realized that I wasn't working and quickly got back to work. I was surprised that Sable had not caught me. I took a quick glance her way and almost immediately returned to work, but then turned back towards her again. She was staring straight at me, eyes directly into mine. Why she didn't remind me was unknown, but why she was staring at me in a strange and eerie way, a little too eerie in fact, was even more lost to me.

She had been staring at me like this at some different times earlier today, but it was never as long or as intense, and they were quickly interrupted by the busy day. But she stared at me now in a creepy and ominous way.

She reached out one of her hands slowly towards me. I almost smacked it away but soon stopped myself as I remembered her injuries. She was seriously freaking me out. Mable soon noticed.

"Sable? Sable!" She said as loud as she could without disturbing the customer who was now looking at shirts. Sable's intense gaze was swayed and eventually broken as Mable called to her some more.

"Uh…what?" She answered her sister after a few moments in a strange way.

"What's wrong, d-did you take th-your medication, did you take them like I said?"

"I've…been a little busy making sure Ai didn't mess up" She said as she finally pulled her hand away from me and fiddled her bandaged fingers together nervously. She sounded very…different.

"Well, take them now, and hurry!" She said sternly and fairly urgently. Her attention was quickly taken way as a shelf fell; dropping all of its stuff on Lucky and burying him as he tried to pull something off of it. Sable then turned to the desk and her eyes met mine again. I felt my spine tingle as her gaze became as it was before again, but she quickly shook her head and then tried her best to open a drawer.

I wondered what kind of pain medication would cause one to act so…creepy. I've never seen Sable, or anyone for that matter, make such an expression before; like…almost like they were hungry. I then remembered the night at Rosie's.

My thoughts were interrupted by some cluttering. Sable had dropped a lot of things to the floor as she dug through the contents of the drawer. She tried to pick some stuff up before Mable would notice, but was hardly able to.

I felt my heart strings tug as I saw her fumble with the contents while trying to find whatever medicine she was looking for. I wanted to help her, but I had to keep working, and I didn't know what she would do considering how weird she was acting.

She finally pulled out a pill container that had a white, blue, and grey-blue designed label on it. It didn't have any text on it. She struggled to try and screw off the child-proof cap. I stopped thinking about it, she was still Sable.

"Hey, I can open it for you." I said, reaching to turn off the machine.

"No! keep working!" She hissed in that way that I had never heard from her before. It was serious and almost venomous. I did as she said but couldn't keep my eyes off of her trying to pry off the cap.

"Just hand it to me and I'll take it off." I said after a while longer of watching her try to take off the cap. I was worried that she was straining her hands too much.

"Just keep sowing." She hissed. I continued to run the machine but didn't take my eyes off of her. After a while she finally popped off the cap, but was holding it in an angle at the time and dozens of small red and purple plastic capsules fell to the floor. She quickly went to her knees and began frantically picking up the peculiar looking things.

I couldn't just watch anymore.

"Let me help you." I said as I began to turn to help. She opened her mouth to protest again but was interrupted by a small cry of pain. It was a cry of pain from me.

I looked at my finger as it bled profusely and a sharp and heavy sting resonated throughout my hand. I had turned when the machine was still running and now the skin on my finger was sewn onto the pattern by several stitches. I quickly turned off the machine with my other hand and began to try and look for something to cut the threads off of my finger to free it, but before I could look around I felt something grab my hand really hard.

Sable's bandaged hand had a death-grip on my right wrist of the hand that had the bleeding finger.

"Ow, Sable, you're hurting me, let go." I whispered frantically. She didn't let go, she didn't even lighten her grip. She yanked on my hand, breaking it free from the stitches, but it also took some flesh with it. I held in a cry of pain as I felt my skin tear; it now was a long and thick patch of red, about as thick as a pencil and about four inches long. Sable's grip was only tightening. I began pulling my hand, trying to break free, but Sable's bandaged and delicate looking hands were like steel as she held firm.

I looked to Mable who was still trying to get Lucky untangled from something while he flailed wildly.

"Sable, let go. Please." I pleaded, still whispering; I looked up to her face as she pulled my hand towards her. I froze stiff and went cold as I looked at her face; it looked like that of a wild monster. Her face was scrunched and teeth were bared like a snarling dog. Her eyes stared hungrily at my bleeding hand, she looked ready to try and bite off my hand. I regained my awareness of the situation as she began licking the open skin, sending stinging waves throughout my hand. I let out a cry of pain and fear and called for help.

Sable was about to bite at my hand before Mable practically tackled her; breaking her grip on my hand, but it also pulled me with her some and I fell to the ground. Before I could even regain my surrounding and sense of balance I felt hands grab at me, and then be forced off, causing me to fall again. It was like if someone was trying to grab at me. I could barely see what was happening, but I heard things getting knocked over like if there were people wrestling.

I tried to at least gain a sense of what was happening. I could feel my heart beat on my ribcage as I struggled to get a clear view of what was happening around me.

I tried to at least get on my hands and knees, but before I could I was grabbed again and lifted up, and before I knew it was almost tossed out of the store. I barely landed on my feet and was quickly knocked down by the weight of another landing on me. I fell to the ground and quickly looked to see that it was Lucky who had landed me. I looked to the slightly opened doorway and saw Mable with a very frantic look on her face and sweat running down her face. She had placed herself in the door way in a way the prevented anyone from entering or leaving, and nearly blocked off any way from seeing anything inside.

"I-I'm sorry, but you both should just leave, a-and and. Forget, forget everything that happened here, don't tell anyone." She quickly looked back into the store at the sound of some things moving and falling, and then back to us. "Don't tell ANYONE you hear." She said frantically. Lucky and I both nodded. She looked around and then back at us. "Now go and leave."

"But wait, I thought- I thought."

"We're closing early. Thank you, Ai. For everything, and we'll send you the money, but right now you just have to get away from here."

"What about your apron?" I asked as I began to take it off.

"Keep it." She said. Another sound came from inside, it sounded like something breaking. She looked inside and back again. "Now go, run." She said and slammed the door closed. Her muffled voice could be heard from outside, but no words could be understood. Lucky and I promptly got up and began running away.

I looked back and saw Sable's face in the window; she was staring at me like how she was earlier. I turned and ran even faster.

After a while Lucky and I stopped to catch our breaths. My head pulsated as the beating of my veins made me feel lightheaded. We had run for a lot longer than what was probably needed, but that was alright.

"Dang *pant pant* that was sure scary, did you see *pant* the look in her eyes? *pant pant*" He asked while he had his hands on his knees. He eventually stood back up. "Man, I don't know what you did, but she seemed pretty pissed off at you. She looked ready to kill you or something." I remained silent. It was hardly anger that she gave off to me, but I didn't want to discuss it.

Why was she acting like that? How could one so sweet, reserved, and caring suddenly become like that? Was it those pills? Those strange looking pills, they had some sort of insidious feeling to them.

"Let me see?" I heard Lucky's voice ask I was lost in thought.

"What?"

"Your bite wound, let me see it." He guestured to my hand. I didn't feel like correcting him; I held out my hand silently. He then took my hand carefully, making sure not to touch the open wound. It still stung when he did though. It ran about 3 or 4 inches from the side of my index finger to where the thumb joins with the hand.

"Looks like it'll get infected. It only looks like a flesh wound though. Here sit down, I can help." He sat me down on a tree trunk.

"I don't think, I mean you don't need to-" I questioned whether or not he could help, he was known for being a mischievous goofball, not a doctor. I didn't want to be mean about it though.

"It's alright, trust me. I know what I'm doing." He reassured me as he took out a small box with a handle.

He set it on a rock and opened it. It had rolls of bandages, bottles and vials of some liquids of varying sizes, cotton swabs, and other things that I did not know where named or what they were for. He took a bottle and a swab and used them to clean the wound. A harsh sting pinched all over my wound as he did. It reminded me of a time when Mom cleaned my knee when I scrapped it from playing one time when I was little. She said the sting was the chemicals killing all of the germs. For a few years after that I would then on try to make my cuts and bruises sting thinking that I was killing off the germs and therefore 'cleaning' it, which would usually result in pain and sometimes getting sick. The memory of my mom made me smile as Lucky cleaned my hand; he noticed.

"Most folks cry or complain at this part. Your smile makes me question your sanity. Don't tell you got yourself bit because you enjoy pain." Lucky said playfully, then putting down the cotton and grabbing something else from the box.

"What? Oh, no. I was just remembering something, a memory about my mother, about...home." He looked up at me; his face looking sad...I think.

"Don't talk like that. This village is your home now, it may not be a paradise, but it's home. We all miss our parents, but it's time to move on with our lives." He was speaking like some sorta wise old person. He looked at me again and smiled before wrapping the bandages around my hand.

"So...a counselor, a mummy, what else are you, doctor?" I asked in a playful tone. He looked up from wrapping.

"What, no, I wouldn't say doctor, but I guess I do know a little more than a granny with a stick-on bandage. You kinda have to when you live like me." He finished with a chuckle as he motioned to his own bandage wrappings. He finished wrapping my hand. "There you go, that should do it." I looked at my hand, it looked officially mummified.

"So…what happened?" I asked, wondering about his history.

"Hm?"

"Your bandages…uh…when…how?"

"Oh, well I was born you see."

"You've been like that since…birth?"

"Yeah, my mother didn't name me Lucky for the fun of it after all." He chuckled. "You just live with what you have, some days are bad, and some are good. I'd say one of the good days is this one…one of the lucky days."

"This day? But, but b-"

"But in the end I got to know you better, y'know, more than that you have a mean right hook."

"Oh, yeah. I forgot about that…uh s-sorry."

"It's alright, in fact I never would have went to the store today if I didn't hear that you were at the store. I came to apologize for scaring you but got sorta…distracted." He said as he placed his mustache on his face and began twirling it. "And if I didn't come, who would have treated your wounds."

"Oh, I guess that's true. It seems it was lucky that I well…uh."

"Punched me in the face?"

"Heh heh, yeah." I chuckled nervously again.

"Yeah, if you look at what you get from even the bad days, you just kinda find it hard not to find yourself lucky."

"Hm…I guess so, I never thought of it that way. I guess we really are kinda lucky." We continued to talk a little while longer to each other; we had talked about some things, anything, it all helped us forget about todays' unfortunate events.

"And now I have to find a job again." I finished. I had just told him about my recent life since coming to this town, minus the parts that where like a horror movie.

"Well, after all this I'm just glad that I'm not the first to have been pounded by the new girl in town, hahahaha." He obviously remembered that part about punching Rosie by accident the most.

"That's not funny" I remarked, but he probably didn't hear it over his own laughing. It made me feel a little down; hopefully Lucky was the last person to get punched by me. I felt bad enough about Rosie alone, not to mention that I would probably end up with a reputation for punching people.

"Well I think it's about time to head home." Lucky said as he got up and put away his little medical box. "See you around, and hopefully not your fist anytime soon, hahahahahar." He walked off laughing. I wanted to go with him, but I had to get home before it was too dark, and my house was in the opposite direction. I called out my goodbyes and began to head home. It was a synch, I had remembered just about where everyone lived and where we were. I had managed to do such by practice over the weeks of being here.

I began to walk home, quickly. It would be dark soon and I didn't want to be out in the dark. I tried to keep my mind off of it, but I couldn't and now that I was alone and nothing was around to distract me; my thoughts came back into my head. The thoughts of what happened at the Able sisters' shop.

I felt really worried about them, especially Sable. Those pills, what did they do? Or what don't they do? I pondered it as I walked. Lost in my thoughts I made it home sooner than what I thought it would be. I went in and barricaded my house. I didn't eat, I didn't try to watch TV, I just went up to my bedroom.

How could I sleep after something like that? I just laid there in bed, worried, scared, and uncertain. After a while I fell asleep, I had managed to convince myself that tomorrow would bring a better day, and that my friends would be okay

_I thought that I had friends then, hehe._

[So that is the end of chapter 5. Sorry for the late update, and for the future late updates. I have lost my main access to computers and the internet, so writing the chapters alone will be a long and tedious trial, let alone updating, but I will refuse to give up on this fic, I will write it to the end. This chapter may not necessarily be as exciting as my others, but now the story has gone deeper into its other elements, just you wait, if you like this then you will almost definitely like what I have in store for later…almost, it really kinda depends on the person who's reading, but oh well. On to chapter 6]


	6. Chapter 6: Hello, my Blue and Red

[So this is the hopefully released sooner than the previous chapter 5, chapter 6. I am trying to keep it all relatively interesting while changing the pace a little. This chapter kinda just made itself on paper, I don't know why but it just came so quickly, so this one is a lot sooner than the month or two for the last chapter. I don't know if the chapters to come will be this quick to write, so don't be expecting any weekly updates from now on or anything.]

Chapter 6:

I heard pounding. I jumped up. My heart died on me, my body went cold. The pounding stopped for a while before starting up again. I remembered my axe, and pulled it out. I walked over to my door and looked down into the darkness that was hiding my staircase. I felt the side of the wall for a switch and turned on the lights, my heart beat skipped as I saw the flash sight of Rover, directly in front of me. I had seen something that wasn't there.

I had to hold my axe mainly in my left hand, which was worrying because I was right-handed. I held it up, ready to swing it down upon anything that would try to come at me, but it felt awkward.

I heard the pounding continue, like drum of a marching band. I slowly made my way down the stairs, wincing for every creak that echoed in the hallway. I felt like if something was in here, it knew exactly where I was, and was waiting for me on the bottom, hiding somewhere. I didn't like that.

I eventually made my way to the bottom of the stairs. I jumped as the pounding started again. My eyes adjusted to the darkness and saw that it wasn't really that dark out, it was mainly my barricades that blocked off much of the dim light that coming through little holes of the crudely made barricades. They were really just furniture and such stacked up against the windows and such.

I heard the pounding again, it was coming from the front door. I unlocked it and opened the door to see a familiar face. A frightened face.

It was Mable; she looked surprised, worried, and scared.

"Uh…Ai? A-are you alright?" She asked, taking a slow step away from me.

"What?" I asked. She hesitated, and then pointed slightly at my hand. I looked and saw that I still held it up in a ready position. "Oh, I'm sorry, it's just that recently I've been, I-I mean around here it-it…what time is it?" I asked as I let my left hand drop to my side.

"…A…about 5:30 in the morning. I…just wanted to come over…for a quick check up, but if you're too busy…" She said while motioning that she could turn around and leave. She was a little uneasy from the axe thing.

"Oh, no no it's alright, really." I said putting down the axe against the wall on the side of the door. "I-I was just…practicing cutting wood with my left hand, I've been running a little low."

"Cutting wood, with your hand like that? Don't tell me I gotta baby you too."

"No, it's alright, it's not really that hurt. Oh where are my manners? Come on in, I'll make some tea." She came in and I turned on the lights. She looked around in puzzlement as she saw that nearly all of the furniture was against the windows and such. I couldn't believe I forgot that my house was like this and invited her in. I felt a little flustered.

"So…I take it you don't like visitors much?" Mable asked as she looked at the strange condition of my house.

"Uh…I was…I was playing a game…w-with Lucky!" I could almost slap myself for saying such a ridiculous thing.

"Interesting game, you're gonna have to tell me the rules of that one some time." She said, finally returning to her usual self. "So…I take it that we sit on the floor?"

"Oh, no. Sorry, jus-just please hold on a sec." I said as I began to frantically search the stacked furniture for a coffee table and some chairs. I found a chair and tried to pull it out without making the rest of the wall of furniture fall. I managed to pull it out while only letting a box fall to the ground. I found the second one nearby and pulled that one while knocking over a lamp, tape deck, and something I didn't even know that I had or what it was.

I placed a chair behind Mable and pushed it in as she sat down and put the other in front of her. I went back to the fortress of furniture to find a table or something. I saw an end table that I had found in the dump a week back. I pulled it out quickly without thinking about what would happen, and I paid for it. The entire wall came down and nearly buried me underneath it. The loud crashing sounds were enough to wake a drunk bear that was hibernating. I looked over to Mable and chuckled nervously. Quickly remembering myself I made my way to Mable and put the end table between our chairs and sat down promptly.

She sat there, looking at me as if waiting for something to happen. I wondered why she was motioning as if there was something missing and as her face began to form a small smile of amusement.

"Oh, the tea!" I remembered and jumped back up. I heard Mable's amused giggling as I scrambled through my kitchen for a teapot and turned on my stove.

I had made some tea with a brand that was one of my personal favorites, and served some to her and poured myself a cup.

"So, what did you want to talk about?" I asked as I took the cup from my lips, having had my first sip.

"Well, first of all, I'd like to apologize for last night. It was really rude and well…you know."

"Oh, no, it's alright. I just hope that I didn't cause too much trouble. Is Sable alright?"

"Oh, she's just fine, well, except for her hands that is."

"Okay, that's good to hear…I guess. How about the shop, is it in one piece?"

"Oh, we've had bigger messes than that, nothing we can't fix."

"Okay, that's good." I finished saying with a little sigh of relief. Mable took another sip of her tea.

"I also wanted to give you this." She pulled out a bag and put it on the table and pushed it towards me. Curious, I put down my cup and opened the bag; it was filled with bells, and quite a few of them.

"Mable, this is-this is too much. I can't take this."

"Oh yes you can, and you will, after the fine and hard work you did at the shop, and a little extra for your injury."

"But, it wouldn't need _this _much." I said. It was really too much. I didn't even think that they had this much money period, let alone enough to pay a temporary employee this much.

"It's alright. I have a feeling that we'll be making more than enough with your clothes on display. Hope you don't mind if we take a little inspiration from them."

"Oh…okay. I really took inspiration from what that you two have made, so it's really not my work."

"Oh yes it is, and the customers seem to like it enough. We'll be able to get by a little on those, and we'll be needing to for a while, haha."

"Why? What's wrong?"

"Oh…well I had Sable checked up again, and the doctors said it would need to be a few days longer before she began working again."

"Well, I could come by again an-"

"NO!" I flinched from her sudden outburst. It was silent for a few seconds. "Oh, I-I mean, with her p-her medication she's…she's…I don't want to risk there being another accident. You got off with your hand, b-but we don't know what could happen next time. I'd…we'd rather not risk it."

"Oh…okay."

"We'll just have to try our luck with me working the machine for the next few days." She gave a chuckle, trying to lighten the mood.

We talked a little longer, but then Mable had to leave before the shop opened.

"Oh, wait. Here's your apron back." I said, grabbing the ugly thing off of my coat rack.

"Oh, you keep it, call it a gift of friendship. We only need two anyway." She said with a smile on her face.

"Alright…why did you have three anyway?"

"We just uh…well you see…we-we had it as a spare." She seemed to make that up on the spot, but I didn't press further. It wasn't really important. "Oh, and Ai."

"Hm?"

"I think it would be best if you…if you didn't come to the shop…at least for about a week…"

"O…okay." I didn't need much reason other than that Mable thought it was best for not going back, and I would haply not, at least not for a little while.

We said our goodbyes and she left. I looked at the time; it was 7:17. I decided that I might as well get ready and leave; I was awake and should start my day. I had to go hunting for another job too.

As I got ready I saw the rock I had dug up a few days ago. I decided to take it with me and get it checked out from a professional while I was out.

I wandered around, looking for some other people to talk to. I found that most of the villagers weren't really early birds, and that some fell asleep outside while standing, weird.

I wandered around until I finally found an animal that wasn't half-asleep or sleep-standing. She was reading on her front porch, it was Gala.

I said good morning to her and she barely looked up from her book. I came up to her and repeated. She finally looked up.

"Oh, um…Hi?" She said, sounding as if this was her first time saying a hello to someone.

"Hi, watcha readin'?"

"Uh…" She blushed slightly at the question. "N-nothing." She hid the book behind her back. At that I was curious, but also very cautious, there was very few types of books that you would be ashamed of reading, and one of the most prominent ones I didn't want to know about.

"Oh…uh…how have you been?"

"Good, real good. Hey, wait a second, you were the one who was working at the Able sisters' shop the other day."

"Huh, oh yeah." I had forgotten. Gala was the one who had checked out the sun hat that day. "Yeah, Sable just…she just had a little accident and had to give her hands some time to get better" Gala looked at my bandaged hand.

"I hope you didn't have the same accident." She said.

"No, this…this was a different accident…I hope." She saw that I had been discomforted from the topic of my hand, and changed the subject.

"So…I take it you don't work there anymore, I mean, it's 8:09, they should be open now."

"No, I finished yesterday."

"Oh, I see. I was thinking of heading there again today, there was this hat you see."

"I know, I made it." I said with a smile.

"Really? That's so cool. You must be famous or something."

"Hahaha, I wish. I had only made that the day before. I have some history with sewing though, and I kinda copied off of what the Ables did, so."

"Well, I think you should try to get those kinda talents and work on them, it'd be so cool knowing a famous person before they get famous. Imagine if you became as famous as Gracie."

"I don't think I'd be…"

"Whoa, sorry, how rude of me, I'm sorry…would…you like to come in?"

"Huh, um sure." She led me in; it was a big house, bigger than mine at least. It was quaint too, it kind of reminded me of my grandma's house, except for a few things, and it was also very clean.

She had offered me tea, but I declined. I had already had tea, so she brought out a checker board and we began to play.

We had also talked. We talked mainly about clothes, and plenty of different subjects on them; especially on Gracie and other fashion designers. It got boring to me pretty quickly, but she seemed to only want to talk about that.

"Do you think that we can have that tea now, I mean, if it's not too much trouble." I asked, politely interrupting as she was about to talk about the potential inspirations of Gracie on her work.

"Oh sure!" She zipped up to the kitchen. I sighed in relief; it seemed that she would talk about that forever.

I looked around and became curious. She had some really bizarre stuff, and some really sweet stuff, but mainly granny-like stuff.

I got up and looked around at some of the more interesting items. I saw a little set of soldier statues that wore costumes of mops, sponges, and other cleaning appliances.

I looked through each one, amused. I looked at one that was saluting, and whispered _at ease _and then giggled and continued to the next item. I froze as I saw it.

I couldn't believe what I saw. I picked it up to see if it was real. It was.

I felt a little bead of sweat run down my forehead as I turned the pill container in my hand, it had a white, blue, and grey-blue label that had no text.

It was exactly like the one that Sable had. It brought back some frightening memories.

_It…it maybe be just a generic container for pills_

The thought came into my head. It gave me some comfort; after all, it didn't have any text on it. That would make sense. It wasn't necessarily the same kind of pills.

_Then maybe you should check to see if it has those pills, those red and purple pills that you remember so vividly_

The thought came at me like car. It had crept its way in, and I now felt my hands and legs shake at the thought.

I didn't want to check, but I had to, if only to keep my sanity. I placed my left hand on the cap and held it with my right, of course not using my index finger.

I felt my heart sink and my insides churn as I prepped to open it.

I really didn't want to open it. I wiped my hands on my clothes, they had begun to sweat. I finally pushed down on the cap and twisted it slowly. I closed my eyes and continued twisting the cap until it came off.

I didn't look down; I didn't even open my eyes. I didn't want to, but I felt I had to. I eventually opened my eyes and looked down, and to my horror, I saw them, the red and purple plastic capsules.

My heart dropped into my lower insides. I heard the cap drop onto the floor; I had dropped it without realizing. I felt my breathing rate increase.

"What are you doing?" I heard a stern and worried voice from behind me say. It had cause my heart to skip a beat or two. I turned to see Gala glaring back at me. She took the pills from my hand. "What were you doing?" She asked while picking up the cap from the floor.

My mind fell to a blank. I tried to come up with a reason.

"I…I-I was looking for some painkillers." I said, and held up my hand. I felt my face heat up and some more beads of sweat run down it. "I heard that those were painkillers so-"

"They aren't." She interrupted. I stopped and then swallowed.

"Th-they aren't, but Sab, I mean I-I heard that-"

"You heard wrong." She said with almost a crying tone.

"Oh…okay…w…what are they then?"

"Th-they're…they're" She seemed very distressed at the question. "I think you should leave." She said finally, and she didn't need to repeat herself. I promptly left her house.

I couldn't believe what I had seen. Those pills, if they weren't for pain then what where they for? Why would Sable need them? Were they narcotic drugs?

A thousand thoughts raced through my mind. I thought long and hard about them, what they could be for, why Sable and Gala could use them.

I was so lost into my thoughts that I had almost bumped into another sleep-standing animal. I looked up to see a white rabbit that had a brown tuft of fur on top of her head. I giggled some as she had a snot bubble that grew and shrunk as she breathed in and out.

It was Gabi, one of my first friends here. She was peppy and bizarre and liked saying honeybun and probably the only animal in town that would stand a chance against Rosie in a talking contest.

I took a twig and poked the snot bubble. It popped, and it woke her up. She yawned tiredly, and then suddenly her eyes popped open.

"Whoa, like, what am I doing outside? I was just in the middle of dancing in the world biggest taco party." I laughed at the random outburst. Gabi looked around, confused. "Aww man, that was only a dream? Not okay, honeybun."

After she was done providing me the details of how stunning Mr. Tabasco was in her dream and how he would make Jingle jealous of his antlers and twinkling eyes, we had a game of hide and seek. We played with Chuck and Ed as well. I had to seek while they hid. I had 15 minutes. I managed to find Chuck and Ed easily, but Gabi had alluded me to the end.

After Gabi and I had a ceremonial good-sport dance (at the insistence of Gabi herself) which took about fifteen or so minutes I agreed to help her with her laundry for a few hundred bells. We had gotten to her house and she showed me into her super secret closet…which meant that was where she stuffed all of her dirty clothes.

"So, you might wanna stand back a bit there, honeybun. I swear the last time I did laundry was, like, 500 years ago." Gabi said; bracing herself while she grabbed a hold onto the door.

"Wow, I didn't even know you were that old." I responded playfully

"What! No, no I didn't mean, like, it's just that, it's…it's, just stand back honeybun, or else I'll bury you in my clothes and won't even try to find you." She was playing around, but she did sound a little offended; she couldn't be that old, not much older than me at least.

Both of us kept quiet for few seconds as she pulled on the door, and then a few more, and a few more. The only sound came from how she struggled with turning the handle of the door.

"Uh, do you need help?" I asked as she began to grunt and huff.

"No, honeybun, I can handle a little door." She was kind of an independent one, she'd only accept help if the job she was being helped with was impossible, horrifying, or just downright wrong, like doing the laundry.

"Are you sure? It looks like-"

"No, like, seriously. I don't need help, honeybun." She grunted as she placed one of her rabbit feet on the wall as she pulled.

"…uh…you're sure?"

"Yes, yes I'm sure. Just stand there and this door will be open in no time." She continued to pull on it, increasingly getting more and more irritated as she did. I would've offered her my help again but she would undoubtedly get ore irritated. I sighed and looked around at her house. It felt kind of country-ish. I looked around at her different pieces. She had a piano, I didn't even know that she could play a kazoo let alone a piano, or maybe it was for show. A thought came into my head then; I turned back to Gabi.

"Hey, uh, Gabi?"

"_Hrrm! _Huh! _Hgghh!"_ She while being completely suspended from the wall with her eyes closed; both feet on the wall as she pulled harder and harder. The door looked ready to break off.

"Do you think that…maybe it's just locked?" Her eyes opened wide and she stopped pulling in place; I guess that was it. In her pause she fell to the ground and got back up and brushed herself off. She had a slightly grumpy look on her face as she looked through a drawer that had a lot of keys in it. She mumbled something as she unlocked the door.

I found her pouting to be very amusing, and I chuckled a little under my breath as she continued. The door wouldn't open at first; so she spit on her paws and grabbed on and yanked. An avalanche of clothes came rushing out of the door, completely burying the both of us.

I struggled to dig my way out. I eventually managed to pull my head above the ocean surface of clothing.

I looked around in awe and disgust; I was sitting in a gigantic pile of dirty clothes that made a mountain. It was almost awesome, but it was just so disgusting.

Gabi's head popped out of the ocean a few feet away.

"Man, there's even more than what I remember. Sorry, honeybun, I didn't know that this would happen."

"It's alright, it just so…much."

"Yeah, hehe…I kinda haven't changed my cloth size since, like, 8th grade. I was considered pretty big then though."

"Oh…but even then, why is there so much?" It's almost like you just bought new clothes rather than wash them"

"…"

"Gabi? Did…did you…"

"Um, are we not supposed to do that? Then why do they make new clothes? That's, like, a total waste."

"Uh…nevermind. I think that we should just get to work."

"Oh, okay…I think a little more than a few hundred bells are justified for this job."

"I guess…wait…are we cleaning _all _of these clothes?"

The sky was a dark and deep red, and it was only getting darker. I sat on my knees in front of a tub and scrubber. Cleaning was hard with only your left hand; Gabi tried to offer doing the washing part several times, but I liked this part of doing laundry the best. I was washing a #2 shirt. I wiped my forehead with my forearm as I finished the shirt, and therefore the last of the dirty pile.

Gabi then came and dumped out a basket full of dirty clothes right beside me, where the dirty pile was.

I sighed as she grabbed a few more pieces of clothing that had dropped and tossed them into the pile that was almost twice as high as I was when I was on my knees.

"Ugh, why can't laundry just, like, _wash itself!_" She exclaimed out loud.

_tell me about it _I thought to myself, chuckling a little at the thought of laundry washing itself

"Are you sure that you can do all this scrubbing with one hand, honeybun? Cause it seems like you're having trouble. Here, let me do that for a while and you can hang 'em up and stuff."

"It's okay, really. I prefer to do this part. I'm gonna be left-handed for a while, so I have to get it as strong as possible." I knew that giving a reason that was of an independent nature would cure her.

"Oh, I see now. You're gonna take what you got and push it. I like that. Okay then. I'll get these hung up then." She got up with a basket and began pulling dry clothes off of a clothes rack and putting them in the basket; I began to clean the clothes of the new dirty pile.

After she was done pulling clothes down she began putting up the clean, wet ones. She noticed a particular dress and held it out.

"Hey, I was, like, looking for this dress all over!" She exclaimed out loud, suddenly changing from her irritated tone to a more happy and cheerful one. I looked up from my cleaning and wiped my forehead again.

"Well that's good, real good." I said as I looked at the dress she held up. It was a white one, it looked very radiant and clean, for a plain white dress, it was very beautiful.

By the time we had finished it was dark, not as dark as it could be but still dark, too dark for my tastes. I began to leave, getting my things and Gabi stopped me.

"Hey, honeybun, hold up. I got something for you, here." She gave me a bag of bells.

"Thank you, so very much." I said

"Not yet, I also want you to have this." She handed me a box, I opened it and pulled out a white dress. It was the one that she had been looking for.

"B…but Gabi, I thought…I thought that you had been looking for this."

"I was looking for it to give to you."

"Oh…thank-"

"Ahbihilagilaflaba!-no! no cheesy thank you's, goodbye's or any other mushy stuff here, thank you. You're welcome, goodbye." She said with a smile as she hurriedly shooed me away as to avoid the 'mushy' stuff. She was a pretty hardy rabbit, but I didn't think that goodbye's or any other 'mushy' stuff was that bad for anyone, but I guess some people don't enjoy what others enjoy, even if it doesn't make much sense to them.

I waved goodbye as I walked away. When she disappeared from view behind the trees and hills and stuff I went from a walk to a little jog. It was getting too dark.

I watched the trees slowly turn from friendly giants to dark monsters that flailed and reached out in the wind, howling and hiding anything and all things in their shadows. I felt my breathing get a little heavier, my heart's beat get a little quicker.

I began to run; from what I don't know. I ran as if to escape the trees' outstretched hands; reaching out to grab me and pull me away. I continued to run until my lungs felt like bursting, my throat was cold and dry and sore, and until my shins felt like they would splinter like old wood.

I had to stop and rest on a tree stump. There seems to always be one conveniently around whenever I needed to rest or just sit. I'd have to thank Chief for his lucky tree chopping selecting.

"You look like you've just seen a ghost." I heard a voice say from the darkness. I froze in place; it sounded familiar. I looked up and saw nothing; it was like it was from the trees themselves. I got up as my breathing turned to a wheeze and my heartbeat began to beat faster on my ribs. I looked around, and was surrounded by darkness.

I felt vulnerable. I had to talk, I had to make sure that this wasn't some dream.

"W…who's that?" I called out. Was I hallucinating? Was I beginning to succumb to fear and paranoia? I looked around and saw things for a split second that weren't there; the darkness taunting me and poking at me. I could only see the trees at this point, and by now they looked pretty friendly.

I walked over to one and pressed my back against it. I continued to see things, hear things. I saw flashes, outlines, figures that were just barely recognizable. I saw Sable's crazed and hungered face coming at me several times, I saw Rover's hate-filled eyes. I saw others, crazed and just staying out of sight from me, taunting me, wanting me to move, wanting to strike.

I stood still, and they came closer. I didn't want to see these things anymore. I sat against the tree and put my face into my knees; covering my eyes from everything. I hid from it all and counted…1…2…3…4…5

I hadn't done this since I was a little girl; hearing voices and seeing faces in the dark.

The voices, they always were gone by 10, like a counting to end a nightmare. 6…7…8…9…10…I looked up. I saw the outlines, not moving anymore but standing still, but they still drew closer ever so slowly. My breathing had become a rasp, like the final breaths of a person in their death bed. I couldn't even feel my heartbeat anymore, just numbness. I dug my head back into my arms. 1…2…3…4…

"Are you alright?" The voice came as a whisper directly in front of my face.

I didn't think or look, I just threw a fist forward. It hit something; solidly it hit something, something…warm…and soft. I struggled to lift my eyes to see what.

"I don't think that was appropriate." Came the voice again, it's cold and callous tone shivered my spine. I shuddered as I looked into the shimmering crimson eyes of Rover, my fist in his clenched palm. My blood ran cold, my breathing seized, my sight went black. His smiling face faded as I went out.

[Whoa, a cliff hanger. I wanted to make this chapter a lot longer, but I noticed one thing about the last chapter…it was 7000+ words long! Man that is something else, especially considering how the others barely even scratched 4000, I don't like short chapters, but I don't want people to be reading a novella each update either. I really don't see how this is happening either, It doesn't seem any longer than the other chapters, but it seems like those numbers just take a rocket up. Hope you likey to read, cause I likey to write ^-^ Reviews please.]


	7. Chapter 7

[Now here we are with chapter 7, are you excited? Anxious? Nervous? Yes? No? Well, best just get to it.]

Chapter 7:

I opened my eyes and saw nothing around me. I was in the same place I was before, against the tree; nothing was around me, nothing was here, except me. I sighed in relief; it was only a hallucination...dream...nightmare, whatever.

"Now Ai, I thought you would know what a hallucination is" I heard a voice say. I froze up again. Who was that? How did they…

"Know what you're thinking? Oh, Ai, you're like an open book."

I looked all around me. Where were they? What were they?

"_What_ am I? That's not very nice, I'm a person just like you."

I froze again. I didn't think anything, I didn't move, didn't talk, not even a sound. I only listened. There was silence for a few minutes. Not a sound, not even the trees dared to moan; why weren't they speaking anymore? I began to think of things, letting thoughts enter my head, seeing if they would respond again. Nothing.

I got up from the ground. I looked around again; almost everything was gone, the moon, the wind, and the sounds of the night were dead. I looked at what I could see, which might as well as been nothing.

More thoughts came through my head. There could have only been one person here with me now. It was Rover.

"There we go, Ai, I knew you could figure it out."

"What? Rover? Why? Why, Rover? Why are you doing this!? Where are you!?" I called out. There was nothing but silence in response. I was about to call out again.

"Hold up your hand, Ai, let me see it. I'll let you know where I am when you do."

I didn't have time to ask questions before he said that. I thought about it, why did he need to see my hand? Why does he only want to come out when I hold it up? Why is he doing this to me?

"Doing what, Ai? I simply would like to see what happened to a friend of mine, what's the matter, Ai? Don't you trust me?"

I didn't answer, I didn't even think of an answer. Instead I slowly and cautiously held up my hand a little. Not that high, not even as high as my shoulder. I looked around to see if he was around, and where he would be coming from.

"Ai, would you hold it a little higher, it's hard to…see it."

I paused for a second, and then reluctantly held it higher, a little higher than my shoulder height. I looked around again, looking for him. As I looked away from my hand I felt a pain as something grabbed on to it tightly. I gritted my teeth as I felt it squeeze harder. I looked at my hand to see…a branch? A branch that was partially shaped like a hand; it was grabbing onto my hand, its twigs wrapping around my wrist like snakes.

It pulled on me, hard; it made me turn around as it pulled back. I was now facing the tree and saw that that was where the branch was coming from. I struggled to free my hand as I saw half of the bandage turn red from blood coming out of my re-opened wound.

I tried to pull back on it, but the branch was like stone; it wouldn't budge. I managed to grab a rock that was partially wedged into a somewhat sharp shape and began to slam it repeatedly against the branch. I began to see it break through the bark and begin to cut through the wood of the old and thin branch, but then another branch snatched me by my other hand. My feet were soon taken as well, and I was forced to face towards the tree.

I struggled with the decaying branches; tugging my arms and legs as hard as I could. I could hear the branches splintering as they tried to retain me. Then more branches and roots came out from underneath and above.

They held my arms from wrists to elbows, and from my knees to my ankles; their rough and hard bark was wearing down and tearing at my skin. Blood began to drip from between their spindling branches and twigs.

I called out in pain, and for help, but I was alone in the forest, alone with this monster tree. The tree itself looked like it was but much thinner trees twisted together. They began to unravel, slowly like a dead body that was reanimating.

It held me facing it as it continued to unravel. something was it the tree, something was within its braids, something insidious. I turned my head away from it; I didn't want to see it, it had an awful stench, a stench like that of a rotting body. Branches wrapped around my head and neck and forced me to turn my head again.

As the branches continued to unravel I felt the ones around my neck entangle themselves and tighten, like a pair of hands slowly squeezing my neck. As I began to gasp for air I saw something from behind the unwrapping branches: two large dots of white, white that had a tint of red around the edges. As the branches unraveled it became more apparent what was within its branches.

My mouth fell open as I looked at the face of Rover within the tree. It was covered in vein-like roots that crawled on his face just underneath the skin. His skin was clearly visible through what little fur was remaining on his face, and it was a fleshy and pale color. I at first had not recognized who it was until I saw his unmistakable eyes and smile. Eyes as red as a burning hatred, and smile that tried to hide its savagery and hunger, but in vain.

"Oh my, my dear Ai you look like you've seen a ghost, or maybe a monster." Words choked their way from his mouth, like a dying man's wheeze. "And you look weak, are you feeling…hungry?" The last word hardly slipped through his lips as his smile creaked wider and his tongue came out and licked his lips like a desperate worm poking out of a hole to search for water.

Sense of the situation came back to me and I began try and fight free from the branches. I began to bite at the branches as they pulled me closer to Rover's face.

"Oh, my. You _are _hungry aren't you? Well, so am I, and I'm glad that I have a friend here with me for dinner." The branches pulled me closer. I struggled, bit, pulled, and tried every way to escape, but in vain.

As I was pulled closer to the misshapen face of Rover; his smile opened up. It revealed his teeth; they were bared as I was pulled closer, his mouth opened up wider and wider. I heard snapping as his jaw jerked opened to unimaginable width; teeth like icy thorns filled its width with countless numbers.

I screamed, as loud as I could; I struggled as hard as I could, but in vain. Eventually I came within range of his mouth and his jaws bit down.

I jerked up screaming and fell and hit the ground. I lifted up my head frantically and looked around. I was still in the forest.

"Are you okay?" I heard his voice say, behind me. I turned, expecting to see the mouthed tree, but instead I laid my eyes upon the scared and worried face of Rover. He was kneeling down and was slowly reaching a hesitant hand out to me. I flinched as he raised it to me; his hand receded back to his knee. "Ai, what's wrong? Why are you acting like this? Ai?"

I jumped to my feet as he reached his hand out to me again. We then stood across from each other, about ten or so feet away; he was facing me. He tried to make a step forward and I took two back.

"Stay back!" I creaked out through a scratchy voice. It was barely comprehensible from what I heard from myself.

"Ai, what has gotten into you? It's me, Rover." I cleared my throat.

"I know! Stay back!" I called without realizing it. He flinched back at my shout. We stood there for the longest time, just staring at one another.

"Ai…" He said softly, breaking the silence. "You-why are you acting like this? Ai, you were having a nightmare. It's alright now, you're safe, you're with a friend now, see? Friends, we're friends, Ai." He slowly began to approach me again with his hands up. I was tempted to try and turn and run, just run, but to where? Was that really a nightmare? With my past experiences these last few weeks I couldn't tell anymore; it all felt like a dream, and it all didn't make any sense.

"Ai." He said while continuing to approach me, his hands still up. "Ai, please, just think about it." I didn't know what to think, what to trust. I looked back at him, looking at his face, looking for something, for those hate-filled and hungered eyes that ghosted in my sight in the darkness. The eyes that I saw in the window that night at Rosie's, the ones that reached into me as if to devour me from the inside. I looked, and I saw the sad and worried eyes of a blue cat, standing facing towards me like how one would a rabid dog that was barking madly in front of them. I blinked my eyes in confusion; who was I with? And who did I fear?

He saw my eyes, and knew what I was thinking. "See, just think about this, Ai, we met on the train a while ago, remember? You dropped your case and spilled out a little something, something that I said I would keep a secret, I promised, remember?" Ancient and foggy memories of that day came back to me slowly, like how one would remember an old fairy tale from when they were young. It was hard to believe that those memories of a nice, kindhearted Rover were real.

I felt soft and warmth enclose around my hands; I felt his hands gently hold onto mine. I didn't even notice that he came up to me as I was lost in my memories and conflicting thoughts. I looked from his hands to his face, and a small and comforting smile formed on it, it was...warm...it was genuine.

"R...Rover?"

"Yes?"

"I'm...I'm sorry."

"It's alright, Ai."

"No, I mean it, i-it's just that-"

"It's okay, Ai, really."

"...really?"

"Yes, Ai, what else are friends for?"

We talked, and we walked, and it was...pleasant. I couldn't believe how at peace I felt while being with Rover, it was like having Samus feeling at peace while she's spending time with Ridley...I guess...

Our conversation mainly was about me; he seemed to, one way or another, bring the topic back to me, and my recent life since coming to this village. He also seemed to be completely interested in it, well, I guess with _my _life these past several weeks it would be kind of hard to find it boring, but still.

"So that's why, eh? Haha, just like Lucky to use a unusually large amount of wrappings. I tell you, one time I scrapped my elbow and he wanted to give me stitches, _stitches_. hahahaha!" I laughed at the image of the scenario in my head. Lucky did go a little overboard with the wrappings, but at least he was well meant. "Well you've certainly had quite the life since starting up in this town, huh? Falling in a river, getting bitten, sleepless nights, vicious attacks, and nightmares, brrrh!"

"Well, it had some ups too, haha."

"And speaking of the nightmares: you said that you had terrible nightmares about...me? Hahaha, please, do tell." My spine tingled with both amusement and anxiety. The way he spoke of them made them seem like jokes, but I didn't want to tell him the specifics, for then it would be evident that they were a little on the real side to be just nightmares.

"Uh, I'd rather not, they're really ridiculous."

"That's good then, a laugh is the best way to conquer your nightmares."

"Um...but I-I mean, how abou-y-you see...it's just kinda...embarrassing."

"Oh, don't worry, Ai, it'll be just between us. We're alone with each other and unless trees can talk, your secret will be safe, and as a bonus, I'll even let you in on a little secret of mine, one that no one other than me knows." His mention of trees reminded me of the nightmare I had just woken up from. My spine tingled and I felt my heart gain a little weight. He saw that it discomforted me. "Oh my, are they that bad? I'm sorry, Ai, you don't have to tell me if-"

"Oh, no no. I…I feel better if I get them out of my system."

"…Alright then…" I felt my head and collar get sweaty as I told him the nightmares; it seemed a little too personal to be sharing, even if they were about him and…well, telling the object of your nightmares your worst nightmares didn't really help either, but I told him, and he listened intently. I changed or added parts to the events, hoping that they would sound a lot less plausible as real events; I didn't want to get _too _twilight zone with him. It was kinda hard, for he would ask questions for parts that I would deliberately leave vague.

After I was finished telling him about the dream with the tree, I honestly expected a witty remark of some sort, maybe a hungry joke that his nightmare-self had made, but no. He didn't make a sound, he didn't even adjust position. He sat there, still, in thought.

He sat there like that for a few more minutes, but they felt like hours. I was nervous, and getting even more so, for it seemed almost like he was thinking about these as if they were real, as if he believed they were real.

"Well, considering the more than unnerving behavior of the animals, especially around these…pills? And the nightmares…I'm surprised you haven't been driven to a paranoid, spooked nut-job by now, well, even more so."

He broke the silence finally, and with the all relieving witty comment. My nerves cooled down and I smiled and laughed. He said I was a nut-job; I'd have to get him back for that. I yawned and realized that I was tired, and that it was late, really late.

I had to get home, but I also had a couple questions that I wanted to ask him beforehand. I turned to him to see his big, and still rather unsettling eyes become slightly droopy as well, followed by a weak and weary smile that he gave back at me; he looked ready to fall over.

"Hey, Rover?"

"Yes?" He answered with the weariness becoming increasingly evident in his voice. He finished with a yawn, one that he had caught from me.

"Remember those pills I told you about? Have you ever heard of anything like that?"

"I don't know, what did they look like?"

"They were-" I was interrupted by my own yawn; it had come back to me from him. "Excuse me, they were plastic red and purple capsules. In a container that had a blank label that was colored two shades of blue and a shade of grey." I yawned again; I needed to get home quick. Rover sat there for a minute, swaying slightly back and forth in exhaustion. He yawned and then finally answered.

"Can't say that I have ever seen any kind of pills like that, but I've seen that container everywhere though; in almost every town I visit. Animals always seem to have them. So I guess they're just some empty containers that they buy to hold their varying pills or something." He yawned again; causing me to yawn once more. Well now that that was out, it was time for the next.

"Okay. Hey? What where you doing out here anyway? Walking around out here in the middle of the forest at night?" He chuckled.

"I could ask you the same thing, but only, you were running as if your tail was on fire." He chuckled again. "I just came here earlier today, the train was crossing here and decided I'd pop in and say hello to all my friends" Another yawn. "but either the town was remodeled from the ground up or I haven't been in this town longer than I thought: cause I got out of the train station, and took three steps and was lost in the forest before I knew it." He chuckled again. "I was looking for the river then I saw you running around like a mad dog, crying. I thought maybe something was wrong, like a break up or something, so I followed you to see if all was alright. Then you took a swing at me."

"Oh…..yeah….sorry."

"Nah, it's okay. I am a cat after all, so catching your punch was like catching a beach ball with my cat-like reflexes." He stated the last part with a playful sense of pride. I giggled with him as he did. "Well, I'm done for the night. I think it's time we part for today-er night. I bid thee farewell." He got up and began walking. I watched after him; something was nagging at the back of my mind. It should've been easily remembered, but I was tired. It came to me then. I called after him.

"Hey, Rover, wait! You're still lost, remember!"

We continued through the forest. I was looking up to the tops of the trees. It was hard to see them for my eyes were tired as I was and it was dark and they seemed to just go on forever into the night sky. I didn't like that thought, that one could hardly tell the tops of the trees in this darkness; it frightened me. I was only able to continue because Rover was right next to me. I recognized the trees faintly. "This way" I said, pointing in a certain direction.

"Are you sure that the train station is that way?" I thought about it for a second; being tired seemed to make my thoughts much slower.

"Positive. Hey, Rover, why are you heading to the train station anyway? Are you leaving so soon? I didn't know that the train still ran this late at night."

"Of course they don't." He yawned in response. "Though, the benches don't have limited hours, and it's their service I require." He chuckled.

"What, you mean, like, to sleep on it?" He nodded.

"Won't be till in the morning that I can use the actual train part of the train station so." He shrugged lazily as his eyes might as well have been closed, and he swayed slightly from side to side.

"Rover!" I snapped in an almost scolding tone. His eyes shot open and his stood straight, surprised and now awake from my sudden outburst.

"W-what? What did I do?" He said, looking like his hand was caught in the cookie jar.

"You know that I have a house with a warm guest bed!"

"You do? I mean, but i-it's just that, that-that." I grabbed him by the arm.

"C'mon you bench hobo." I said as I began to pull on his arm and walk in the other direction. He tried to resist some at first, but I was stubborn. All these animals, what was with them? All of them act like some sort of hunky dory everything-is-always-okay group. I wondered how they even have homes with these kinds of attitudes.

I put the key into the lock and turned and opened the door. We entered and I flipped on the lights; immediately regretting it and covering my face in embarrassment as the light revealed the trashed and fortified stronghold that was my house. Rover looked around in both befuddlement and wonder as he examined the strange condition of the house. I wished that I was in a closet, or underneath a table, out of sight. I couldn't believe that I had let someone in my house when it was in this condition for a second time.

"Um…well…your house decorating skills are…different, Hahahahaha!" I felt my face burn with embarrassment as he continued guffawing at his own jokes; they weren't even good jokes either.

After his tale of 10,000 bad jokes we had some food to eat, and then began to prepare for sleep. I had to run all over my house for forever to find the drawer that held the guest bed. I finally found it crammed between a stove and a giant orange-brown block that held a question mark on it. I spent another forever digging through the drawers themselves to find the right leaf.

"I think you'd be the first girl who could take the quality of Gracie's furniture away single-handed with only your own interior design...abilities, hahahahahahah!" _Ugh! _I thought. _Not again with the jokes that make Dr. Shrunk sound like a genius _I smirked a little at that thought.

"Here it is! Finally!" I said as I pulled out the leaf. I set it down and before the smoke even disappeared completely Rover had jumped at it and it appeared just in time to catch him with a bounce upward. "Ah! Don't do that! You could get hurt!"

"Yes, mommy." He replied without taking his relaxed and highly amused smile off of his face. His eyes were closed with content and joy. He was obviously comfy, for this bed was probably the softest thing he's laid on for quite a while. I couldn't help but smile as I watched him stretch and adjust in the bed; he was already drifting away into sleep, and was still smiling. Just watching him sleep made me sleepy, well, even more so; I yawned before I turned to head upstairs. As I reached the bottom of them I heard a yawning voice call to me. "Goodnight, Ai." He said. I yawned once more before answering

"Goodnight, Rover" I said as I turned off the lights and began walking up the steps. The step creaked loudly as I began to put weight on it; I woke up immediately and began to sweat, and my heart-rate began to rise. I didn't know why for a moment, but then it came to me: The creak, it sounded just like the one from my...event with Rover that one night, the same Rover who I had just practically tucked into bed in my living room.

I looked over to him, and saw him beginning to curl up on the bed, still smiling. _He's not that one, he can't be _I reassured myself. I tried to reason with myself, he was my friend, those were just very vivid nightmares. I reasoned with myself for what seemed to be quite a few minutes, but I couldn't help but turning back each time I tried to go up the stairs. I jumped slightly at the sound of a voice as I was beginning to make my way up for the umpteenth time.

"It's either you have some really, really big crickets in your house somewhere, or you're doing a before-bed exercise routine up and down on that creaky stairwell of yours." Rover said in a calm and slightly tired voice.

"What-oh, I'm sorry, did-uh-I didn't mean to wake you." I replied rather obnoxiously, I wanted to slap myself.

"Wake me? Hehe, I would have had to have been asleep for that to happen." I heard some small creaking, from old mattress springs and an even older wooden bed frame. He was moving around some it sounded like. "What's the matter, Ai? What's troubling you?" He asked. I didn't want to tell him that I was having trouble coming to bear with the fact that the object of my nightmares was sleeping in my living room; he'd probably leave and try to find that bench to sleep on, and I wanted to trust him, and this would help me to do it. I tried to think of an excuse.

"Oh, i-it's nothing, really." I said, mentally slapping myself again.

"Nothing, eh? Just your typical creaky-stair exercise routine?" I heard the creaking some more, this time a little louder and faster. I wasn't feeling comfortable with this at all, and the noises in the dark wasn't helping in the least.

The lights in the stairwell turned on; I had turned them on without thinking. I the light shone on me like a ray of sunshine; I felt a little better now that they were on. I looked in the direction of the sounds. With the exception of a small rectangle of light on the floor in front of the stairwell, the lights from the stairwell had very little affect on the darkness of the living room; only a small portion trickled into it. At first the sudden light made it hard to see, but then my eyes adjusted and I noticed to bright disks in the dark. My heart skipped a beat as I realized that they were eyes, Rover's eyes. They were reflecting the little light that was reaching them and glowing brightly. Brief flashes of my terrible past with those eyes came into my head, I began to tremble on the inside, but I couldn't show it on the outside. I continued to look at them, and after a moment a very faint outline of ears, a head, and shoulders came into view around the two disks. He appeared to be sitting up on the bed.

"Does nothing trouble you like that?" a voice emitted from the dark figure. Evidently I wasn't that good at hiding my distress. The two disks rose as there was more creaking, and they began coming closer. I was tempted to back away, or at least close my eyes as my insides felt heavy, but I resisted the urges. The dark figure with reflecting eyes came closer ever so slowly, making resisting harder as it came closer. The figure stopped right in front of the curtain of light, its outline much clearer, but no detail was visible. It was like the nightmare had to stop, as if there was a wall of glass between us that it couldn't get past. "Are...are you scared?" the figure asked. I felt my spine tingle, but then I thought: How long can I make him pay for my own fear? I then decided to trust him. I gulped and answered calmly.

"No." The figure stepped forward into the light; revealing a smiling, friendly face. He came up to me and put a hand on my shoulder.

"Good." He said through his smile. His smile, it comforted me, it wasn't the same as the nightmare's, this one was sincere, kind, and warm. The anxiety was lifted from my body, like a curtain pulled off of me, or like a darkness removed by the beam of a light. He could see my joy and hugged me. I hugged him back.

"Y'know what?" I said after a minute of silence.

"Hm?" He asked.

"You still have yet to tell me your secret." I said as I tightened my grip around him.

"That's right, I forgot." We released. "Well," He was cut off by a yawn "it's late. I'll be sure to tell you tomorrow." he said as he returned back out of the light. After a few seconds I heard him plop on the bed; it creaked and sharply in complaint. "Good night, Ai...again Hehehe." His voice was tired, and his chuckle was weak to begin with and only weakened as he finished it.

"Good night, Rover."

I turned and began up the stairs, the creaking not affecting me at all. I felt kinda embarrassed at how I felt scared at them just a few minutes earlier. I reached the top of the stairs, and turned off the stairway lights. The dark made me want to turn it back on. I wasn't afraid of Rover now, but evidently the dark still discomforted me significantly. I plugged in my night lite; there, much better.

[Crap crap crap crap crap, I know I know, I said I would make the chapters longer, but at the last minute I came up with another idea and had to cut it off from here if I wanted to use that idea, sorry ^^;]


	8. Chapter 8: Saying goodbye

[And here we go with the next chapter in the story…yeah…that's all I really have to say…so…here]

I felt the cool air breeze and swim through my hair and my clothes as blew against my face. I looked up to the grey blanket that had spots of blue that made up the sky. Cloudy days like this were becoming more common. The vivid green of the leaves was faded into a yellowish green color that had little sprinklettes of light orange here and there; some orange drops fell like snow to the ground, looking like orange stars against the green ground.

Fall was now setting itself in world around. I like autumn; it isn't too hot or too cold. I looked around contentedly at the scenery that was showing the growing age of spring the beginning of the birth of autumn. It wasn't really cold out, but it was cool, and the excitement mixed with that made me shiver with giddiness.

"Are you cold?" the voice came from beside me. I looked over to see Rover blowing into his hands and rubbing his arms together.

"No, I'm just excited for autumn. Are you cold, Shivers?" I said back with a humorous smile. This morning I decided to walk him to the train station and see him off. We were taking the long route so that we could spend some time together before he left again.

"That bad, eh? Well, I'll admit it; I'm not really one for colder days myself." He said before blowing into his hands again and rubbing them together. "I just don't get it; I'm the one covered head to toe with fur, and yet I'm the one shivering, br-r-r."

"Well, it's not that cold. It can't be colder than mid-fifties or sixties." I said while estimating the surrounding temperature by the slight nipping at the tips of my ears and nose.

"Exactly. I haven't been here for a while when it was around this time of the year for quite some time, and now I think I know why."

"Oh, stop crying." I said playfully while pushing him some.

"Hey, stop. I'm not crying, I'm just stating a fact." I rolled my eyes. You'd expect one who slept on benches every night to be able to take a little cold.

"Whatever…crybaby." I smiled, he made a faced. We continued our 'conversation' until we came to the museum.

"Oh, well if I'm so short, then why is it that you couldn't even reach your bags on the train that day on the train?" He said before sniffling and putting on a triumphant smile on his face, finally getting a point on his side of the board and still rubbing his arms together. I chuckled some at the slight goofiness of the image. I had to think for a second to come up with a witty comeback. I found one, and it was good.

"Well then, if-" I began before getting cut off by him.

"There's the museum coming up *sniff* don't you-"

"Hey, no fair; it's my turn." I said, really wanting to say this comeback, it was worth at least five points, if that was possible. He merely pointed in the direction of the museum.

"You can get fossils identified there now, I think *sniff*"

"Really? Wait, how did you know that I had a…"

"Well, I can't think of much else that would create a bulge like that" He said while he pointed again, this time at my pocket. I had forgotten; this morning I saw it and stuffed it into my pocket on a whim. "How about we head inside?" He suggested in an almost begging tone. "M-maybe it'll be warmer in there *sniff*" I sensed his great discomfort and agreed; it was early, so the train station wouldn't be closing anytime soon.

We headed inside and it seemed like it didn't get any warmer as we went inside, in fact, it felt like quite the opposite, and there were no doors to close at the entrance. Not only did it seem to get colder, but the only light came from outside the entrance, casting darkness all around. This felt more like an abandoned building, or a cave; devoid of life.

"J-j-jeez! Why is it so cold in here?" He said aloud, and his voice echoed loud within the vast and desolate walls of the museum. The volume and iciness of the echo silenced the both of us for a second. We looked at each other as the hairs stood on the back of our necks, and then he sniffed loudly; I chuckled feverishly. "Hey, what's so funny?" He asked before sniffing again.

Our attention was caught by the simultaneous realization that we were not the only ones in this room, and as if from nowhere a big, brown, sleeping owl was in the center of the big room, standing. It was Blathers, I had met him several weeks back when I still worked for Nook; that was the first and last time I saw him. We approached the owl with some caution, hoping he was a morning owl. We came within four or so feet and stopped dead cold. After a minute of staring silently at the snoring owl (with the exception of Rover's occasional sniffing) Rover said something.

"So…maybe we should wake him up?"I nodded and I reached out my hand to the owl's shoulder. Almost as soon as I touched his shoulder his eyes opened halfway and he mumbled something before yawning. In mid yawn his eyes suddenly opened wide as he seemed to just now realize that he had dozed off. After a fretful explanation of why he was "just resting his eyes" I brought up the fossil. He immediately brightened up.

"I do say, a fossil? Please, show it to me with all speed!" I pulled the rugged, heavy rock from my pocket and handed it to him. "Ah yes, this is indeed a fossil, and quite the sizeable one at that. Fossils as you know look like strange rocks, but are much more than that I assure you. Indeed. In essence they are much like magical windows that provide peeks into a different world that existed eons ago. The world of when it was ruled by an empire of gargantuan reptiles of all sorts, hoo, and by some smaller than you and I. You mammals may be on top of the food chain now, but then it was a very much different story. Many of the beasts were carnivorous, with teeth and claws that were as long as kitchen knives, brr. Doesn't the mere thought just chill you to the bone? " It was a rhetorical question but that didn't seem to matter to Rover.

"Well something definitely is." Rover said before sniffing again as he continued to rub his arms together. The old owl didn't seem to even hear that he had spoken; he was too lost in his lecture-like ramblings. He even had his eyes closed as he spoke like a college professor.

"…And the Tyrannosaurus Rex, or better known as the T-Rex, was indeed the king of them all, it loomed over 25 ft tall and had a bite of up to 57,000 newtons, and _that _is no small feat, and…" His voice was beginning to sound much like a teacher's all right; I was getting sleepy just from listening to him now, as was Rover, proved by his yawn followed by a sniff. I didn't want to be rude, but I also didn't want to pass out on the floor.

"Um…excuse me." I said rather meekly.

"…Wingspan of several meager inches to over 30 enormous fe- huh, yes? What is it, you have but to ask."

"The…the fossil."

"What? The fos-Oh yes! Please forgive this rambling beak; it's a curse I tell you. Of course, of course. Now, let take a gander at this beauty." He held up the fossil to what little light there was. "Oh, blast it, I can't see my own wing in my face in this cursed darkness, hoo." He placed the fossil under his wing and clapped his wings together. Lights flickered on and the building suddenly came to life. "Much better. These lights seem to have a mind of their own and turn off whenever my back is turned. Now the fossil. Hm…that looks much like a…no-no…" He was mumbling to himself as he eye-balled the rock. "There was a time ago the animals of this village had to send their fossils by mail to another museum in order to identify these precious little clumps of history. I felt so horrible about not being able to help them in the matter that I got a certification to identify these little bundles of knowledge, and so it began…" Rover and I looked at one another in urgency; he was starting up again. We had to act quickly, but my mind ran blank.

"Um, Mr.-er-Blathers, sir. We were actually wondering if we could check out the other exhibits while you did your inspection thing." Rover quickly said. Blathers paused from his lecture and looked up from the fossil and stared blankly, like as if he didn't hear Rover, and then the light bulb light up.

"Oh, yes yes, of course. The exhibits are down these halls, do mind your step down these halls, they're dark as a cave."

"And as cold *sniff*"

We left the owl to his work as we went to check out the fishes. We quickly found out that the only fish here was a sea bass; hardly a worthwhile time. We left to see the bugs, but only cockroaches roamed the room. We finally came to the paintings exhibit and decided to stay here; it was the only room that wasn't almost completely barren and Rover claimed it to be warmer than out there. The first painting we came to was one of a dog park. It had many people in, walking dogs that walked on their hands and feet. A tarnished brass plaque read "calm painting"

"Wow, this one looks very old." I said.

"Well, that's *sniff* because it is old, very old. I heard that it was made *sniff* so long ago that it was made in a time when only humans were able to walk and talk."

"What, there was a time like that?"

"Uh huh, or so I've heard from an old vulture in a college in some town very far from here *sniff*. " I had trouble imagining a world like that. I had always known that some animals used to walk on fours and not be able to talk, but all of them? I looked at Rover and tried to imagine him completely silent and on his hands and feet. "According to the old fowl, it was humans that gave animals the ability to walk and talk. I'd usually doubt something that sounds this crazy, but that old bird looked really, really old *sniff* He might have been around long enough to be able to tell, hahaha *coughcoughcough*"

"Are you okay? Maybe we should get you some medicine."

"No, no *cough* no. I can't afford *cough*"

"I'll pay for it, don't worry."

"No, no. I can't afford the *cough* time. Nook's is too far away; I'd miss the next train." He tried his best to refrain his coughs; it was beginning to worry me.

"We can get you on the next one; right now you need medicine."

"I'll get some coffee from the café before we leave *sniff* it'll work just like tea, I'll be better in no time at all."

"Are you sure? You've been sniffling all day, and now you're coughing."

"It's just the cold, it'll clear right *sniff* up when I get some coffee and warm up." I still had my doubts. It took a little longer for him to convince me to agree to not drag him to the store to get him some medicine. Afterwards we came to a painting that was in an old feudal Japanese style and had a grimacing man with his hands held out as if to ensnare something in them.

"Ah, here we go, the _scary painting _*sniff*" Rover's hands finally released from his arms as he held them out in a similar fashion as the subject in the painting, All the while his lips receded back in an attempt to imitate the paintings expression; I laughed at the sight of his face. "I don't know, but this seems even older than the last one." He said, returning his face to normal and his hands to his arms. "Scary definitely fits here *sniff

"I wouldn't say scary, really it's more bizarre than anything." I said as I continued down the wall of empty exhibits, partially looking for the next painting.

"Oh really? *sniff* then what would you call scary?" He asked in a slightly taunting tone, coming up. I thought about it for a second; what _was _I afraid of? We came to another painting; I glanced as I passed by it, and then stopped and walked back to it.

"I'd say this is scarier than that other one." I said as I pointed to it. Rover walked up to the painting with an amused smile on his face.

"The Strange Painting, eh?" He said as he looked back up to the pale figure dressed entirely in dark, drape-like clothing save for a deep red scarf around his neck. There were words, but it looked as if they were in a different language. "I guess you're right, that sense of fashion is absolutely terrifying." He snickered out with his smile still poking at me. Now a little more seriously He asked. "So what makes Hurbert Von Scarfenstein so scary?" I thought about it for a second, about why the subject gave off an eerie feeling to me.

"He looks like a creepy person who'd follow you around at night, and do stuff."

"Stuff, what kind of stuff? *sniff*"

"Like I'm-going-to-follow-you-and-steal-your-clothes-and-then-watch-you-in-your-sleep-and-maybe-stab-you kinda stuff."

"HEHHAHAHAHAHAHA!" The walls resonated with Rover's untamable laughter. He was on the floor convulsing from his boisterous howling. I felt my face get red with embarrassment. After a minute or two he finally calmed to sitting with a lively smile and having occasional giggle-fits while wiping tears from his eyes. "Oh, oh mahehehe. I don't think I've never laughed so hard before. That was great; you should do that more often. "

"That's not funny."

"No, but you are." He looked up to see my discomforted face. "Oh, if it's that serious I didn't mean to-like, I didn't think that-" He began as he stood back up.

"No, no, it's pretty silly, I get it"

"Not if that's what really chills you." I stayed silent. "Well…is it?"

"…Yeah, it's just been all weird lately and…things like that have been creeping me out, y'know stalker-ish kind of stuff." A slight chuckle came from him.

"Well, if big dark stalkers are what you're afraid of, then you've got nothing to fear."

"Really, why?"

"Well, stalkers don't look like this gargoyle here" He motioned to the painting. "No, people who look like this become either librarians or teachers. Stalkers are goofy looking usually, or normal, it depends."

"On what?"

"What they're stalking you for. If you're a big wig CEO or politician it'll be to get dirt on you, that's usually the case. They choose people who look nice or goofy so that they don't get suspicious, Mr. Scrooge here would be spotted a mile off and caught."

"Really…but what if they aren't doing it for…y'know politicians and stuff."

"Oh, those kind, they would more likely be a goofy looking dork who's just really desperate to get a friend or something and follow people. Or maybe for some other reason, crazy people have many different avenues for their reasons."

"Really?" He shrugged in response.

"Most cases would be I guess." I thought for a second.

"…Rover, how would you know about all this?" He seemed to be really put off by the question; he remained silent and stared blankly at me. I stared back at him, and began to feel a little uneasy from his silence, and his empty eyes staring at me. I began to wonder if I should have asked that question. My thoughts and the silence were finally broken by a loud and hard sniff from Rover as he began to have a sniffle fit. Suddenly it felt a lot lighter in the room, and it became easier to breathe as I let out a held breath I didn't know I was holding. I chuckled some as Rover was furiously wiping his nose with tissues from a nearby box. Afterwards he turned back to me.

"Well, common sense and educated guesses mainly. I mean, it only makes sense. I think the only stalkers that look like this guy are the ones in the magic little box that makes pictures move and talk." He chuckled a little at his own joke. I thought about it, it _did _make sense I guess. "It's 'bout time to skedaddle don't you think?" He asked looking at the clock on the wall. I looked over; it was 9:54.

"I guess, let's just get your coffee and my fossil and we'll be gone." We went through the hall, back to the main room. Rover went into the café while I would pick up the fossil. I looked around the main room; Blathers was nowhere to be seen.

"Hey, Ai, Over here! You must see this splendid specimen I've uncovered." A giddy voice came from behind. I looked over and saw a hallway with Blathers sticking his head out of it. He looked like he could hardly hold his excitement in as he was practically dancing as he urgently beckoned me to come. I made my way over and he wasted no time and took me by the hand and led me down the hall. Words of some sort were spewing out of his beak, but I could hardly understand them.

I was eventually led into what looked like a cluttered and disorganized office. There were papers that where crookedly piled up on desks, and chairs and just about everywhere else. Old and worn books of many sizes were stacked all over the floor in messy towers that looked ready to topple over. A ceiling fan spun slowly overhead in a vain attempt to keep the stuffy room cool while a small and old radio had a man talking, but nothing could be understood due to the static from a poor reception. But the main center of attention was a gigantic and rather out of place dinosaur skull that was suspended on a black pole with a stand on the bottom; it looked as if it was just dropped there. Blathers looked at me with an expectant smile on his face. His feathers all around were fluffed up in excitement as he fiddled the tips of his wings together giddily.

"Well, what do you think?" He finally asked. I was at an absence of words entirely; why was he showing off to me his messy office like it was some trophy?

"Um…it…looks like you…really enjoy your… work." I said the first thing that came to mind that wasn't insulting. He tilted his head in confusion.

"I beg your pardon?" he said.

"I'm sorry, but I'm really pressed for time right now, and it would be really great if you could get me my fossil and…" I was trying my best not to sound rude. He looked at me completely puzzled. Did he forget? He gave a little chortle after a second.

"Oh, Ai, you sure know how to throw one in for a loop, hoo now."

"What? I'm sorry, but if I could just get my fossil and." He gave a slight bow as he spread out one of his wings towards the giant dinosaur head in the center of the room. I stared in confusion for a second before I realized what he was suggesting. "What? Wait, are you saying…_this_?" He nodded gleefully. I stared at the giant skull; it was big enough for me to crawl inside it and live there. "But…but" I could even begin to find the words. I held up my hands and made it like I was holding something that was about the size of a baseball. "How?" I asked, showing him my hands. He gave a jolly smile and opened his beak to answer, but then he stopped before a sound came from between them. His wing tip met the bottom of his chin as he took the time to think about it.

"…Hoo…well…now _that _is an intriguing question." He finally said after a minute of thinking deeply. "One that I cannot answer I'm afraid. But what I _can_ tell you is that this beauty is the skull of the great triceratops, a great and mighty dinosaur. Indeed. It had three horns along with a mighty tusk, though it had an exclusively herbivore diet and…" I groaned in my head.

I left through the entrance and found Rover standing next to the open door, holding a paper cup of coffee in both hands and holding close to him as if to try and absorb all the warmth it was no doubt exerting into his shivering body. "It's about time," He said irately. "What took you so long?"

"Blathers." I gave a one word response, and it still felt like I talked too much to my ears. Rover immediately switched his expression from impatient to sympathetic.

"Ah, I see." He said with a heavy _I'm sorry that happened _tone. "Hey, where's your fossil?"

"I donated it; Blathers convinced me to."

"Hm *sniff* we didn't get to check out the fossil exhibit did we? I guess we'll have to next time."

"Alright, it'll be fun. But right now, we should get to the train station before your coffee gets cold."

We arrived at the train station shortly after that, and waited on the bench. We continued talking, mainly about…well…just about everything, it seemed we had all the time in the world, and after one subject was done, we would just trail off to a new one.

"And after that, I learned never to try and shoot a mole with a slingshot in the hard hat again, especially when he is just finished eating three day old fruit from a mail box." Rover finished a rather elaborate and bizarre story."

"Wow" I had trouble believing his story, but something on his face was making hard to dismiss it as made up as well. "Did that really happen?" I asked, still trying to grasp all of what he told me.

"Yup *sniff*" was his only response. We fell silent again; it was the silence that followed the end of one subject, and was followed by another one soon after. In a few seconds one of us would probably start talking about something. The silence continued for a few seconds longer than I thought; the silence was starting to become awkward as we blankly stared forward. I decided to try and break it, but my mind pulled back an empty net; I continued to try and think, but nothing was coming. I began shuffling my feet until something dawned on me.

"Hey, Rover."

"Hm?" He responded while taking a small sip from his coffee.

"You still haven't told me your secret." He remained silent for a few seconds before saying something.

"Hm, that's right, I promised didn't I?" His voice seemed to change, it now sounded hard and void of emotion; the sudden change caught me off guard. He continued looking forward as he took a long sip from his coffee. "Well, I guess we have nothing else to talk about." He paused again. "Remember how you've been having some…disconcerting dreams and fears associated with me?" He asked calmly while he just looked out forward. It was as though he was talking to some unseen entity if front of him. I was reluctant to answer.

"um…yeah." I said after a second.

"Well, let's just say…you're not the first one." His head finally turned to look back at me as he finished his words. It took a second for me to think about it.

"What?" I asked, finding it hard to believe what he just said.

"It seems there is something about me that people just find…unpleasant." He placed the cup beside himself as he continued. "Most people I meet are nice at first, but…end up not being so nice the next time we meet. It's almost as if…they are two different people; most never want anything to do with me after the second meeting, it's almost like they go crazy. It's hard to find people like you."

"like…me?" I asked, not really understanding what he meant by that.

"Yes…true…a friend. It's almost like a cycle…we meet…we part…then they suddenly hate me. That's why I really value our friendship, Ai." His gaze was beginning to cut through me and chill my spine, much more than this mildly cold weather could. "We're something not like those others…we trust each other…isn't that right?" I didn't realize he asked a question until he asked it again.

"What? Oh, yes, of course, absolutely." I said, sounding happy and joyful, but that was just the surface.

"Good." He said and turned his head and gaze back forward, away from me. It felt like a boulder was removed from my insides as he did. After a few seconds he picked up his cup and held it close to his mouth. "My coffee's getting cold." His voice became comical again, it became Rover again. "They need to invent a coffee that never loses warmth." He said in an almost whiny tone. I surprised myself as a chuckle of amusement came from my mouth. Just a couple of sentences and I felt comfortable with him again, it was strange how he could be, it…it was…was…_It's almost as if…they are two different people _his words came back from recent memory. "It's getting cold again." He said with a slight tone of dread. It took me a second to understand that he was referring to how cold he was feeling, and not his coffee. Another chuckle came, warming my body it seemed. "What's so funny? *sniff* I'm suffering here."

"Ah, you'll live." I said with a deliberate tone of indifference.

"I'll be a cat-sicle *sniff* if that train doesn't get here soon."

"You'll still be alive, but you just wouldn't know it until you thawed out in a thousand years."

"That's not *sniff* funny." He pleaded. I laughed out loud this time. My laughter was interrupted by the loud voice of the distant train. "Speak of the devil, it's about time." He said as we stood and looked down the train track to see the train coming in. "Well, looks like no cat-sicles for you today."

"Oh well, I hear that the Rover flavor tastes bad anyway."

"Well the Ai flavor is just sour."

"At least it's not whiney, or fuzzy."

"You're just jealous." He finished with a triumphant smile. The train pulled into the station and stopped with a loud hiss. "Until next time, Ai." He said as he gulped down the rest of his coffee and tossed the paper cup into a nearby trash bin.

"Unless you freeze in the train." I said as I noticed that the train didn't have closable windows.

"I won't, the seats next to the engine are always warm." We said our final good-byes as the train began to move and leave the station. I waved until the train disappeared from sight. Rover certainly was a weird one; half the time you felt like you were with a murderer, the other half you felt like you were with a comic relief guy…one who tells bad jokes, but all the same.

The clock on the top of the station read 10:39, I decided to walk around the town, and say hello to the neighbors. It's been a while since I've seen and actually talked to many of them. I began heading to the nearest house from the station.

There wasn't a path leading to their house from the station, so I had to cut through the trees. As I walked through I wondered how things would be, many years from now. Would I still be here? Would I still be friends with whom I'm friends with today? Will I have finally paid off my house? As these thoughts raced through my head I tripped over something. I looked back to see a rock that was shaped like a pyramid. I sat up, picked up, and examined the curious rock. It seemed to resemble different things as I turned and flipped it around in my hands; I enjoyed such things and pocketed the rock.

I kept my eyes on where my feet were going now, not only to make sure I didn't trip again, but also to see if I would find anything else that was interesting. After a while I saw an arrowhead sticking out of the ground; pointing skyward. I immediately dug it out of the ground, but to my disappointment it turned out to the head of a fish skeleton. Disgusted, I tossed the thing away and began my way again after wiping my hands. I turned back to the fish when I noticed a dark marking around the eye of it.

Upon closer examination I saw that around the eye hole of the skull was a network of thin cracks that spread out, slightly resembling the spokes of the wheel of a bicycle. The two thickest cracks had dirt clod in them, making the dark mark that was somewhat of a cross shape… fish with a cross on its eye…that seemed somewhat familiar.

A memory of when I lived in the city came to me: a boy standing on the corner of a sidewalk holding up a thick, leather-bound book and shouting something on a foggy winter morning. He talked to me about God and someone named Jesus and offered me some sort of little, paper booklet titled "this was your life" or something along those lines. He was nice and I promised him I'd read the book but when I made it home my mother ripped it up and threw it away.

"I don't want you listening to those ridiculous ramblings, or reading this propaganda." She said as she tore up the little booklet and tossed into the garbage bin and then promptly resuming folding laundry." Dad joined in as he walked in from fixing the sink in the kitchen.

"It's all just a bunch of crazy talk; don't get mixed up with that, that's for the loons. You have potential; you can be a politician or professor someday, don't throw your life away chasing fairy tales

I felt bad for not being able to keep my promise, but I stayed away from the boy because my parents said so. Soon thereafter, I forgot completely about all of it, until now. I wondered why that memory came up, and thought about it. That boy, he wore around his neck a shiny necklace, and there was a fish shape that had a cross in its eye, that's why.

That memory was only a few years old, but it felt like lifetime ago, back when I was still in school, and lived in that loud, busy city. Thinking of the city brought up many more, some even older memories. Nostalgia soon fell over me as I let the memories of many different times and places poured in.

I began again towards the house with a memory of climbing trees when I was a child. The trees in the city where only in parks and were saplings when compared to the ones here, but the memory of the ones I grew up with made me happy. I felt like climbing the nearest tree, but was quickly convinced to do otherwise by their large and rather intimidating size. So I continued on my way with memories flooding back to me.

I was so entranced with memories that I bumped into and nearly fell over the small fence that surrounded a small perimeter around a house. Flustered by my ridiculous blunder, I looked around to see if anyone else had seen it. I was lucky this time. I then promptly went around to the front of the house and began knocking on the door.

I went around and talked with many of the villagers, and with some of them I did errands for, some I played a game or two with, and with certain special cases, like Rosie, we talked…a lot. Though there were some villagers who didn't even open their doors when I knocked and seemed rather…sour. I guess they were having bad days…really bad days. Other than those few, it was a good day overall.

I then recounted over who I had seen today to see if I had missed anyone. There was Ed, Chief, and Rhoda. I decided to see Ed first for he was the closest.

I reached Ed's house, knocked and waited. I noticed a bush that was right next to his door, and then a thought came into my head. Snickering, I quickly jumped into the bush and waited. After a few seconds a light blue horse with a golden yellow mane came from behind the door and onto the welcome mat, looking back and forth for the ringer.

I jumped as hard as I could with my hands held out and yelled _Boo! _I never knew someone as big as that horse could have such a high-pitched squeal. The shriek ringed in my ears as it also echoed throughout the sky. He quickly defended himself as the ringing began to fade from my ears, saying that he didn't squeal and was just doing a breathing exercise, Right. Embarrassed and quick to change the subject, he challenged me to a squat competition.

After many minutes I managed to convince him to agree in participating in a less arduous activity with me. After kicking around a random soccer ball for a while, he proclaimed that he had forgotten to get something for us to drink, which would consequent in 'epic' muscle cramps. He invited me in his house in a way that I couldn't refuse…quite literally as he practically threw me inside his house.

When we were inside he told me to get the protein bars while he made fruit smoothies, and to do it quick "to keep the pump going". I noticed the strange appearance of his frontroom; it was all black and white checkered, like a chess board or something, complete with some gigantic chess pieces, the two pairs of knights to be exact; two were black, the others were white. I heard the beating of his hooves in the next room; he was jogging in place.

"Um…where do you keep your….protein bars?" I asked

"I don't hear you keeping that pump." He called from the next room. He continued after I began tapping my foot up and down quickly to sound like I was jogging in place. "I don't remember exactly; it should be somewhere in the cupboard against the wall." He called out. I looked at said wall; it was nothing but cupboards. I continued tapping my foot as I dug through the wall of ten thousand drawers. I found things that I never even knew existed, like little strange cylindrical things that had three circular holes that made the semblance of a face, it had curved appendages that gave the appearance of arms, and they danced when I touched them. They were kind of creepy and quickly turned them back off.

Among other things I also found things that were just plain wonky, like empty tin cans that had many…interesting things put into them. I found some things that were just creepy, like dino skulls and pictures of some of the villagers; mainly a black female cat. I found things that defied the laws of physics, like floating rocks and large weights that were the size of me but somehow fit snuggly in the drawers that were about the size of a jewelry box.

I moved from the wall and saw a vanity; it was cluttered with many random things as well. However there were some things that fit, but were still strange to see here; a medium sized plastic tub full of some sort of blue cream beside it. The thought that Ed wasn't naturally blue didn't occur to me before, neither did the fact that he wore make up until I saw sticks of lipstick, eyeliner and other such cosmetics. The more I was finding out about Ed, the less I wanted to find out about him. He definitely had quite a few loose screws up there.

Officially disturbed, I made my way back to the recess of the wall of drawers. I continued to dig through them, looking for…something; I couldn't remember what I was looking for, but thought that I would remember if I found it; that happened sometimes.

At the whirring sound coming from the next room I assumed that Ed was putting the fruit into a blender. I picked up the pace soon, if he finished before I found…whatever I was looking for I'd have to actually start jogging in place.

After a few frantic minutes I found a drawer that held a large box with the bright and energetic branding of a certain brand of energy food products. That was right; I was looking for energy bars…or something. Relieved, I opened it to find that the box was filled with nothing but pictures of the black cat. I recognized her; it was Kiki.

I stared for a while, this was…beyond disturbing…I couldn't help but feel sorry for Kiki. I looked back and forth glumly across the wall of drawers. I thought I was so close to finding the candy bars…energy bars…whatever bars. I began to dig through the pictures in hopes of finding the bars still. I stuck both hands into the box, which was surprisingly deep…much too deep; the pictures reached up to my elbows, while the box from seeing the outside would look to only be a few inches deep. I felt something hard and rectangular in shape.

I grabbed hold and pulled it out; it was a book. No. It was a diary; little cutouts from pictures of Ed's favorite cat were glued all over the cover. I wondered why after seeing all that his front room had to offer I was surprised to find out he had a diary. Suddenly I felt a wave of deviousness creep over me. I looked over to the way into the other room; the whirring sound still sounded and there was no sign of his return anytime soon. I looked back at the thick journal in my hands and looked at a lock that had three dials, they read _990, _I felt a sense of anxiety as I thought it would take forever to figure out the code, but decided it was worth a few tries. I turned the right most dial with my thumb up. _Click. _I stared in disbelief, that was a little too easy, but then again, with the code, 999, one shouldn't be surprised if it was a little too easy to hack. With a mischievous smile on my face I opened up the hard cover of the diary. I had expected to see endless lines on endless pages about Kiki, maybe about how pretty he thinks she is, or how nice she is, or maybe even entries of him recording his push-up records, but never would I have expected this.

This wasn't a diary…it was a chest, a box, a secret container fashioned to look like a book. This wasn't what froze me though; it was what was held in the box. In disbelief I reached a finger in, and pulled a red and purple capsule up to eye level. The box fell from my hand and to the floor. The floor became littered with the capsules just like the one in my hand.

I left. Without a second thought or hesitation I left, I ran, I ran through the woods; but to where I didn't know, I didn't care.

I stopped only when there wasn't any more land to run on. I stopped and nearly collapsed as I realized that I was exhausted; I sat down on the grainy and cool surface of the beach, looking out to the sea. The waters were all colors ranging from red to yellow as the sun stood on its surface in the distance. Usually I'd take the time to absorb in all of this, I usually felt at peace with the sunset, but I couldn't feel anything resembling peace right now.

Why? Why were they in Ed's house? Why were they at Gala's and Able's? Why were these pills, these insidious pills almost everywhere I turned? Why these damn pills? I felt something wet run down my face, I looked up to the sky to check for rain, but the clear, yellow sky was all that I saw. They were tears, from fear and torment. It seemed whenever I thought I was happy something would happen to remind me of the horrors of the world. It was like a cycle; one bad thing followed every good thing that happened, like a balance, like saying goodbye and then hello to something bad to happen next.

That was two houses now…three villagers…how many more had these pills? How many could I trust? What did they do to the people that used them?

I sat there, tormenting questions continued to come at my mind mercilessly for what felt like too long a time; none found any answers. The questions still persisted, little insects, burrowing through my head slowly but savagely, but never finding sustenance. I stood up and looked at the sun as it was half buried beneath the waters, as if expecting answers from it…nothing. I guessed…I guessed I would have to find some.

[Well, I hope this chapter makes up for the wait. I may be speaking this in general, but it's also directed towards a certain beam of moonlight on the sea that is as awesome as a chocolate cake. Now starting number 9]


	9. Chapter 9: A Fork in the Road

[I'm very sorry to those who follow'd this story, It shouldn't have taken this long to update, but it was partially out of my control. At times writing can be as troublesome as it is fun; life happens, and I also had a very long period of complete "Where the f*** am I going with this?", but sometimes I want to write so badly that it eats at my nerves until I begin dreaming of my writing, It happens more than I would like for it to. Okay, enough sharing circle time and time, for some 9]

I waited for the next day; I didn't want to be outside in the dark with this…problem around the town. I didn't even know where to start trying to begin my…investigation…enquiry…search…whatever this was called. I couldn't sit still long enough to properly do my hair, I hardly had the focus to clean up a bit before leaving, and eating didn't even cross my mind.

I left my house and looked around at the surrounding trees as I stayed on my porch. Leaves were falling from their branches, the sky was light gray; the early morning light was hidden behind clouds. It was rather cool out for it was an early autumn day, regardless I felt a bead of sweat slide down my face; the outside… this day, it made me feel…exposed. I began to breathe a little heavier as I looked around again. Then I noticed my mailbox, its red flag was up. I opened it to find a small box, a package, from Nook it seemed; there was the trademark leaf logo on the box.

I heard something rustling in the distance; my head shot up in its direction to find there was nothing in sight. I tried to dismiss it as a small creature moving about, or a twig falling, but I couldn't shake the feeling of something watching me. I went back inside my house quickly and took time to calm down. I sat at my table. What was I doing? Jumping at a little sound? This was ridiculous; it was just a morning like the rest of the ones I had spent here. If I jumped at every little thing like this, I'd never leave this house and never find answers.

I then realized that I was still holding the box, with a slight curiosity I picked at the tape. I opened it to find a flashlight. It was a heavy, metal one that I had ordered weeks ago, back when nightmares had me barricading my house. I ordered a lot of other things as well, but couldn't remember what. I guessed I'd remember when they arrived.

I put the flashlight on the table and began heading towards the door, but stopped as I grabbed the handle. I looked back; something was telling me that I would probably need that flashlight later. I grabbed it, and decided to get some other things as well. I took a small notepad, some pencils, a map, and a military swiss knife, and put them all in a side pack that I had once used for school.

I made my way out, and found myself stopping on the porch again, but quickly remembered myself and forced myself to walk. I still had the feeling of being watched, and it grew stronger. I had to constantly remind myself that it was just another normal day, and that I was being overly paranoid, but the feeling persisted, and grew. I walked faster, and thought I heard something behind me; I quickly turned and saw nothing. The feeling instantly vanished, like a blanket being yanked from over your head. After taking a deep breath, I continued.

I walked and walked, but didn't even know where I was going. I eventually found a house, one of the villagers' houses. I walked to the front and read the name, Bob, I faintly remembered them from when Nook had me meet everyone in the town. I walked over to the side of the house, and peered through a window. The lights were off; no one was home, good. I cupped my eyes as I planted my face against the window. Despite the fact that there was some light entering through the window, it was still too dark for me to see.

After a few more minutes of eyeing the interior trying to make out the different things I remembered my flashlight. I pulled it out and chuckled a little in embarrassment. I guessed it was a good thing that I had brought it with me after all, and shone it through the window. I looked around for anything suspicious, mainly for those pill containers with the grey and blue branding. After a while of searching I decided to try another window.

I spent what felt like an hour searching through the windows. I periodically looked around to make sure that no one was seeing me do this. After searching the last of the windows I let out a breath in relief. It seemed that this one was clean.

I walked off feeling a little better, certainly better then when I came. I pulled out the map and marked the house. Afterward decided to try to the next house. I repeated the searching process that I had done with the first, and likewise it seemed to be clean. I checked it off and went to the next one. And as with the first two it was marked off.

I began to be almost cheerful, despite myself as I marked off the fifth house. Some were that of some of my closer friends; a weight had been taken off of my insides. I made my way to the closest house on the map. I couldn't help but feel a little normal, the intensity of this morning was definitely gone at least, and as I continued to walk, I found my mind drifting to different thoughts. I saw the house and without taking my mind off of the thoughts of maybe buying some new clothes, I went up to the window. In an almost casual manner I began peeking through the window, looking for the contianer with a vague interest. I could swear that I was forgetting to do something important.

"What are you doing?" Said a stern and inquisitive voice from behind. I tensed up in shock; I had forgotten to see if anyone was around before I started searching. "I've seen enough, ma'am, you're coming with us, put your hands on your head and no funny business." It was a police officer. I was too petrified to do as they said, and in an attempt to move, I fell over on my side; paralized like a statue.

After a few seconds I heard another voice, this one sounded vaguely familiar.

"Wow…I didn't know you were part possum." Wait…was that… "For a second I thought I was arresting a posing mannequin." Came again the voice of none other than Lucky. His bandaged feet came into view as he walked in front of me. My body released and fell limp on the ground.

"Lucky." I let out in my sigh of great relief, a short chuckle followed. I sat up and looked at his mummy-wrapped face; His eye was closed, the mustache that he bought was neatly groomed and perfectly placed underneath his nose and above where his smile would be. I stared at his face in relief for a second, before realizing what had just happened.

"Lucky!" I growled bitterly. It caused him to jump, and quickly thereafter flee; I gave chase as he began to laugh. I chased him around the house for as long as I could, which turned out to be not nearly as long as I thought. I slowed to a mere walk as I panted like a…well, like a dog. I saw a boulder and crashed down on it, still out of breath. Lucky had stopped some ten feet ahead and was jogging in place, waiting for me to continue after him, the troll.

After a few minutes I was still out of breath; Lucky jogged circles around me a few times before settling to plopping on the boulder next to me. In an attempt to get back I pushed him with all of my remaining strength; it barely nudged him to the side. He was smiling again; I could tell, I could practically see it beaming through his bandages.

He began to chuckle in amusement as he repositioned himself; I forced out a loud, wheezy, distorted sound that I hoped was a laugh from between my gasping breaths. After I finally caught my breath and sat up on the boulder.

"You're pretty spry for a full body cast." I said through a dry throat.

"And you're pretty spiteful for a peeping snail." He quickly responded, and followed it with another short but lively chuckle.

"Peeping snail?"

"I saw the way you were looking through that window."

"What? I wasn't peeping, I was…I was just…"

"burglaring?"

"No. I was-"

"Then what's with the bag? What's in it?"

"Uh…"

"Are theystolen goods, they _are _aren't they!?" He accused with a mock tone.

"No, they're my..." My head raced to think of something "...cosmetics, yeah! They're my make up, my lipstick, my eyeliner, my eyeshadow, my nail polish." I was listing every type of girl's make up I could think of before I was interupted by a loud snoring sound. Lucky had his head on his folded hands as he was pretending to have fallen asleep. "Ha ha, very funny." I said.

"I may not be funny, buy you certainly were acting it just a few minutes ago. What's the deal sneaking around looking in people's houses like that?" He asked as he grabbed onto my bandaged hand. I stammered as my mind began to race again for another cover up.

"Uh...I...was...playing...hide and go seek?" I said almost like a question, hoping he'd buy it.

"And you were looking inside a house? Isn't that against the rules?"

"Uh, this game was...a switch around. Uh, we could only hide inside of houses."

"Really? And you didn't invite me?"

"Uh, we had an even number?" I looked up to see his face, hoping he wouldn't get wise, but he was too preoccupied with my hand. My bandages were removed, revealing a swollen purple line that was between my thumb and index. I didn't even notice that he had taken off my bandages. He also had his box open next to him.

"I guess we'll have to worry about that later." He said as he gently prodded the closing wound. "Just as I feared, it's infected." He then turned to his box and began to dig through it hurriedly. After a few more seconds he produced a small, dark bottle and some cotton swabs. He dipped the swabs in the clear fluid from the bottle and began to swab the wound. I almost yanked my hand away when the surpringsly intense sting took me by surprise, but he had kept a firm grip.

"Ouch! What is that stuff!?" I questioned as the stinging intesified as he continued to swab.

"The alcohol didn't kill the bacteria last time, so I'm using something with a little more _omph _to it." He said, not breaking his concetration.

"Well, a heads up wouldn've been nice." I began to tap my feet on the ground. The stinging now began to send a tingle all the way up to my elbow.

"Sorry, but I had to act fast. I thought it would've been good for a few days, but I should have checked sooner. We don't want you getting sick, especially with Winter coming soon." I was a little focused on the sensation that now held my whole right arm, but I realized something strange with Lucky's words.

"Whose _we_? And why Winter?" He finally looked up from my hand, and with a sense of slight dismay.

"Uh, we as in...you and I." He stopped dabbing my wound as he seemed to struggle to continue. "And...Winter is...flu season, yes. It'd be horrible if you were to get the flu while fighting an infection...so." He could tell by my face that I was a little skeptical. He pressed the swab back to my swollen flesh, this time without the gentleness from before, and the mother of all stings assaulted my hand. It felt like he had just stabbed my cut with a red hot sewing needle. I let out a small squeal of pain as tears formed at the corners of my eyes. "Oh, sorry." He said as he looked at my hand again. "Well, that should do it." He said as he began to apply fresh bandages.

"You sure you don't want to stick hot coal on it first?" I said sourly. He pretended he didn't hear me as he continued to wrap.

"So, this game of yours." He began as he was finishing up. "You're checking through windows, right? To save time I'm guessing. But what if the others are hiding in the basement or attic? What if they're in a closet or dresser? You wouldn't be able to see them just from the window if they were."

"I...I guess not." I said in realization. I wasn't playing a game of hide and seek, but I was looking for a particular container, and the chances of those being in plain sight were hit and miss. Gala had hers on her mantle, but Ed had his pills inside of a secret fake diary that was stuffed in his dresser. "Hm, I don't know if this is allowed, but I'd sneak inside the houses and look for the others." He suggested with a mischevious look in his eye. "I'd sniff the lil rascals out."

"Though, I guess that means I'll have to recheck all the houses I've already checked." I said, feeling like I had wasted time. I stood up. "Well, guess I should get started." I said that, but I knew that literally searching the insides of each house was practically impossible. I really needed to find a place to think clearly of what to do next. I began to walk away as Lucky was placing the medical items back in his box. "Thanks for my hand." I said blankly.

"Y'know, you remind me of Tommy." Lucky said as I was a few steps away. I turned.

"Who?"

"Tommy." He repeated as he locked the clamps of his box. "The last human to live here." He continued as he himself stood up. "He'd always come up with get-rich-quick schemes since he owed Nook a bundle, but he'd always overlook a littlelest details that would bring him back to the drawing board."

"What happened to him? Where is he?" I asked. Lucky seemed to be taken off guard by the question.

"Uh...he...he moved." Lucky said. "He...couldn't pay his debt and had to move back to the city to get a job."

"Oh...that's a shame." I said, not fully convinced that Lucky was telling the truth.

"Well, I'm done here. I'll be off now. I got-uh-stuff to do. Important stuff...well... be sure to drink some tea to fight the infection, and get plenty of sleep and fruit too. See ya!" The little mummy zipped off, out of view before I could even say goodbye.

I began walking, not to any place in particular, just walking. It helped me think. I thought about how I was the only human in this town. Back in the city, with the poor economy, people were striving for a place that was cheap to live, and it didn't get much cheaper than in an animal village. One would think that at least two humans would be here at one time. Nook also said that the last human to live here lived in my house. It was a nice place to live, and Nook didn't seem very strict at all with payments. If one couldn't afford to live here, well, they would be hard pressed to afford a card board box to live in. Something was really off about the deal with this Tommy.

I remembered my search for the pills, but it seemed that that particular trail was currently road blocked. I supposed I could find out more about this Tommy character, it seemed like it could provide some information on why he truly left. I also couldn't help but feel that the pills and this boy's history were somehow connected. I began to wonder if he had a similar situation to myself.

I looked up to notice where I had wondered to in my thoughts. It was the dump, or what this little town called a dump. It was little more than a little fenced area about the size of a house and its lawn. It had an opening, and no doors or locks or anything. The residents were simply able to come and go as they pleased, dropping off trash, and maybe picking up some worth while items. I had found a few decent things here myself. I decided I could take a look while I was here.

I walked in and wasn't surprised to find that it was almost barren. The animals didn't throw away much, and whenever they did someone would usually pick it up few days later. It only held one item; I walked over to see was it was. It was rectangular and made of dark plastic. It took me a few seconds to recognize it as a computer. I immediately took it up and pocketed it. My fuzzy television hardly provided any entertainment anymore, and a computer could help with that.

I then decided to make my way to the town center; it would have records of all the citizens who have ever lived in this town.

I had only been there once before to meet the mayor, so getting there wouldn't be too much of a problem. I soon came to an end of grass and dirt and to a cobblestoned plaza, big, wide, and round. In the center of this plaza held the biggest tree I had ever seen, it stood like a mountain above even the biggest of the other trees. It was extremely thick, thicker than any of the buildings in the whole town. I stopped to gaze at it in awe, its ancient branches were the size of some of the normal trees. I liked it, it reminded me of my grandmother, old and wise and kind; a shining example to all.

I remembered myself and made by way to to town hall: A large building (though it seemed small next to the great tree) that stood at the edge of the cobblestone. I entered in and was treated to a sweet smell, and elevator music in the background. The first thing one saw upon entering in was a front desk with a one of the two pelicans that worked here. The first time I came here was after dark, and had an unpleasant encounter with a rude, pink pelican. This time though, the pelican was a white, and a rather cheerful looking bird. She brightened up as she saw me enter. Her charming smile was almost like that of a young girl; it made me feel a little happier just seeing her.

"Welcome to town hall." She spoke with glee and bliss. "We also have our postage service here. So if you need to send a letter or package, we will deliver. Whether in rain, sleet, or hail. We'll deliver what you mail. My name is Pelly, how may I be of service?" Her question reminded me of my purpose for being there, but I couldn't let her know.

"Uh, Hi...I...I was wondering...If I could...see the mayor." I said what first came to mind. The pelican's face dropped to a saddened expression, which in turn made me feel a little bad for asking.

"Oh, I'm so sorry. Our busy mayor is out right now; attending to duties. If you leave a message for him, I'll tell him you dropped by." She seemed genuinely sad that she couldn't help me. Then at that moment I noticed a door to the wall on the right. I needed to at least find out where the records were or weren't. I turned back to the pelican.

"I actually have a letter I'd like to give him. But I can just leave it here for him. Uh, is that his office over there?" I pointed at the door in question. The pelican bent over the desk a little to see.

"I'm sorry, but that is just our record room." She said in an apologetic tone. Bingo. "If you want I can have that letter sent by today, our delivery bird, Pete will deliver it in a jiffy." She then waited for my giving of said letter, but it didn't exist.

"Oh...I...well...you see I'd rather not..." The pelican's head tilted slightly in confusion.

"You don't wish to send the letter to him?" She seemed confused. I was feeling myself sinking into something of a pickle.

"Well, no. I want to send it. But it's just that...I'm not sure I can...trust...the postal services here." The pelican seemed a bit hurt by that statement, which somehow made me feel a little worse for her. She seemed so sweet, I didn't want to make her feel bad. "Well, not that there's anything wrong with...the services...it's just that...it's just that...I ordered a really...fancy...lamp...a few weeks ago, yeah, and I haven't heard anything about it since." The pelican girl seemed shocked, like if I just told her I had just been mugged.

"Oh no, a delayed delivery? That's horrible! I apologize for your inconvenience ma'am. I'll check into the matter right away! It's probably lost in circulation, I'll have to you by tomorrow at the very latest, I swear by my job." She began to walk from behing the desk.

"Oh, no you don't have to-"

"It'll be my pleasure, If you'll excuse me, I'll need to leave for this. Please wait here, I'll be back momentarily." She guestered to a few waiting chairs and was out the door. I saw through the window that she took flight away. I stood there in disbelief for a few moments. That seemed very...easy.

The pelican girl was a stark contrast from the one who worked the nightshift in just about every way. I hoped I didn't send her off on a wild goose chase. Though I really was missing a lamp I had ordered previously, so I suppose it wouldn't be entirely a goose chase. I just hoped I wouldn't get her in trouble, she was very sweet. Guilible, but sweet.

I then turned around and looked at the room, the only noise coming from an office fan and from the elevator music. I had the hall all to myself for them moment. I walked over to the door. It had a sign that read _employees only. _I tried the handle, and it opened. If there was one perk about living in this town, it was that its locks were signs that relied on others moral fiber.

I walked in and closed the door behind me. I flipped a switch to find a poorly lit, dusty, cramped room filled with shelves that held boxes upon boxes that held files and papers and smelled of mothballs. It was a complete 180 from the pleasant main room.

I noticed the shelves had dust covered labels on them. I dusted one off: It had _Town Ordinances _in bold black lettering. Not what I was looking for; I made my way to the next row of shelves and rubbed the dust off of the next lable: _Town History_, nope. _Town Crime Records, Town Laws. _I finally came to the Town Residents and squeezed by way between the rows. I noticed one of the boxes in the residents aisle had a lid that had a wing tip-shaped area that only had a light covering of dust. It must be the most recent, I would have likely been filed in shortly after moving here. I grabbed that box and pulled out of the aisle, placing it on the floor and kneeling down, I opened it.

It contained files that were labeled by the resident's last name first, then their first, but they didn't appear to be in alphabetical order. I saw that the file in the front had my name. I pulled it out and opened it. It had official papers and other boring stuff, like my age, name, origin, birth date, and the one piece of info I was looking for: the date I moved here.

I placed the file back into the box and checked the one directly before it; wow, I didn't know that that was even a last name one could have, I'd be sure to ask Chief about it. His file likewise held the usual info, and his date of moving here was just a month before mine. I suppose they were filed in chronological order, which would help. I made my way up until the names on the files were no longer familar. I pulled up the first unfamiliar name: Hambone, a pig who appearantly lived here about half a year ago. I was about to place the file back when I realized that on the papers in Hambone's file it had a large stamp pressed on it with red ink. The stamp was a design that showed an emblem of an animal print that was put together by a third of a paw print, by a third of a bird talon, and by a third of a hoof. Underneath the emblem was a banner that read something in a different language.

Neither Chief nor I had this stamp on our papers. I quickly dismissed it as some animal group or something. I then made my up the files until I reached the end. I then put away the box, and grabbed the one next to it and checked the last file, the date of which that villager moved here was just a few months before the last file of the previous box. I was glad that they kept their files organized chronologically.

I began skipping files, I at least knew that the last human here was named Tommy, so I could search for the first name. It wasn't long before I found a Doe, Thomas. I looked inside and scanned the info until I found the species area. Surely enough, this guy was human. He apparently had brown hair and green eyes. I checked the date he moved in: May 16, last year. and next to it was the date he moved out: December 31 last year. New years eve hardly seemed like a time anyone would move to another town.

I began scanning the other papers of his file; he apparently was born Thomas D. Owe but changed his last name to Doe. He also was an animal rights activist, an animal vet, he worked for a non profit animal orphanage, and pretty much anything that had to do with animals and helping animals. It sounds like living in an animal town would have been a dream come true for this guy, it was hard to think that he moved just about 6 or 7 months later. He was only 21 when he left, pretty large resume for one so young. For the time he was here he apparently dated with a wolf by the name of Whitney. Disgusting!

He apparently had payed off his entire mortgage to Nook within weeks of moving to the town, debunking Lucky's statements. I began to wonder if I should keep my distance from Lucky.

I found a medical file, and it was almost as long as his resume. He apparently had severe case of asthma, as well as allergies to most types of animal fur, how ironic. I read on, a check up, an inhaler refilling there, but as I was about half way down the list I noticed something. A hand written note penned in fancy penmanship: _Patient Thomas claims to be seeing strange animals at night and hearing frightening noises. Request drugs listed below for medication. _and surely enough, a grocery list of drugs I've never heard of were listed below. I wondered if any of them were those red and purple pills. Just below were more notes requesting more things, but it was the symptoms that were catching my attention. Nightmares and night terrors, constantly found alone in the woods in a panic and cold sweat, hallucinations, deleria, and the like. A feeling of sickness spread throughout my body as I saw more symptoms that I shared with him.

The last of the notes said that he was suffering from paranoia and refused to take prescriped medication, he even denied to have his inhaler and breathing medication. It was noted that he accused his doctor and the whole town of conspiracy against him, he even accused his girlfriend and stated he kept away from her. It was noted that he was willing to become violent and needed sedatives, and then nothing. They finished, just like that. The date for the last medical entry was December 19, last year.

Frantic, I tore through the rest of the file, people don't just up and vanish into thin air. There had to be something, even just a transer paper, a note of imprissionment, a note of descease, anything. But there was nothing, Thomas Doe apparently just poofed out of existence. He had local criminal records for stalking, spying, and other suspicous activity for his last few months here. He had a criminal record as white as snow before that. I double checked everything and found something, he apparently moved to a town called shady town and gave all of his money to the town hall. One doesn't give off every red cent they have just before they move.

After reading over it all again, I decided to put the file back, but then noticed something. There was the emblem, that animal print made from three different prints with the banner underneath. This one was different, the print and the banner were covered with some dark fluid, and the red ink made it look like it was dripping in blood. The sight sent a chill to my bones. It wasn't even on any of the offical papers, just on some small square sheet. The foreign letters now gave off an onimous feeling. I wanted, no, _needed _to know what they meant. I grabbed the little paper and pocketed it. I could look into it later.

As I put away the box, I began to wonder if there were any other humans before Tommy. I suddenly felt a urge to leave. It had been a while, and if that pelican girl came back, I'd have a tough time talking my way out of this one, I'd likely end up in the local prison. But I had to know, I had to. I quickly pulled off the third box and searched each file. There weren't pictures, so I had to look for the listed species. I searched file after file, but it seemed there were nothing but animals before Tommy. This village seemed to have had quite a few previous residents for a small town with allegedly limited transportation.

I finally read the word _human _and let out a breath of relief. Samantha A. Edison, blonde, brown eyes, 19 years of age. She moved into town in Feburary 24, a year before Tommy, and left town at...my body went cold at the sight; Decemeber 31. I quickly searched until I found the next human, Jay J. Cruz, Moved in July 2, the year before Sam, and likewise left at December 31.

I continued to search, and found three more humans: George K. Sextson, Krystal B. Fox, and Darci B. Sternn. All moved in at different times of the year, all came in the year before the other, all left at December the 31. I had also noticed that every animal had that same emblem stamped on their profile, I didn't really look for it, but it's pretty hard to miss a big red stamp on a black and white paper. The only time I didn't remember seeing it was with Chief, myself, and the other humans. Though I was willing to be that the other humans had that bloodied version of the stamp stuffed inside their files somewhere like Tommy.

I was also willing to bet that their records would be similar to Tommy's toward the end of their stays. I was willing to bet that they all saw things and became crazy and paranoid. Was I crazy? Was I getting paranoid? This all seemed so surreal. I had to wonder if my own file reported anything on my own behaviour.

My thoughts were interrupted by a sound outside. I shoved the file I was currently holding back into its box and almost threw it back to it place on the shelf, which caused it and a couple others to fall off othe shelf, dust and papers flew everywhere. I only flipped off the light, and made my exit as quiet as a mouse. I looked over to the desk, Pelly wasn't there, I looked to the window, she wasn't anywhere to be seen. I sighed inside my head and quietly made my way to one of the waiting seats. I'd been in there for a while, I didn't want to push my luck.

I sat down and placed my hands on my lap, looking to my feet. After a few seconds that felt like minutes, I began to wonder if it was worth tyring to go back into those records. Nagging thoughts and questions still lurked at the back of my head, begging to be answered. I looked up and saw something that would prevent such actions. A turtoise, an elderly turtoise was bent over, trying to reach something that had fallen on the floor. It was the mayor. Lucky for me he seemed to have had his attention locked on bending down far enough to pick it up, he didn't seem to have noticed me.

When he finally grabbed a paper weight and lifted himself back up (with great effort) his eyes came to me and he stared blankly for a second, and then his eyes widened in surprise.

"Jimminy, I didn't even hear the door open." He said in an aged, raspy voice. He placed the paper weight back on the desk and corrected his back, which apparently didn't want to be. "I swear a bomb could go off and these blasted ears wouldn't pick up a peep of it." He grabbed a cane that was leaning against the desk and made his way slowly towards me. "Pelly said that you wanted to deliver a letter to me, so I skiddadled my way back. You weren't here, so I was about to make my way to my office in back, and poof, your magically here. I swear you little whippersnappers are always on the move, like little bunnies on a caffine addiction." He sat himself down on the chair next to me. "So...err, what were you here for again?"

"A letter?"

"Ah yes, you wanted to give me a letter, well, here I am. would you be so kind as to hand it over?"

"Uh...no."

"No? No as in you don't have a letter?"

"Uh...no, it's just I...I..." The turoise began to eye me suspicously. "I thought I could...just tell you...y'know, since you're already here." He began to tug his small beard inquisitively.

"Well, all complaints, comments, and requests are supposed to be delivered via letter, but I guess It'll save time. Who needs all these little pointless regulations anyhow. Very well then, proceed." His eyes remained squinted.

"Uh...weeds? Yeah...there are weeds growing everwhere."

"Weeds, eh?" He didn't sound convinced, he only seemed to be get more suspicious by the second. I was falling apart, it was like he could read my thoughts, his eye like razors disecting my mind. His intense gaze dropped. "Eh, when I was young, we had bigger problems than weeds, like food, shelter, and the like. I suppose kids these days are always complaining about something." He lifted himself up off of his seat. "I'd like to help you, youngster, but pulling weeds is a vanity fair. It depends on if the villagers get tired of living in weeds and take time out of their day to pull 'em." I got up as he did.

"Oh, okay then." I said.

"If that's all you were concerned about, I'll have to excuse myself. Have a good day." He made his way past the post office desk, and walked past another desk in the area behind it towards a door. He turned again just before he went through. "Stay out of trouble now." He was gone. HIs tone with his last words reaffirmed his suspicion of me. I'd have to be a bit more careful around him.

I decided that this was enough for today. I had a lot to consider and a lot to take in. As I approached the door I was greeted by a box, a box held by the pelican girl. Just as she promised, she got my lamp for me. She definitely looked proud of herself and happy to have helped me. She had some black smudges on her once pristine white feather and her perky pink outfit, but her smile shone through regardless. It almost made me feel a little better.

I thanked her, and took my package and made my way home.

[Again, so so sorry about the 1.5 to 2 year wait. So now that I have an idea of where the next few chapters are headed, I might be able to update soon (though I can't promise anything since I have an unregular schedule) and hopefully won't be the 1.5 to 2 years that this one took ^^;]


	10. Chapter 10

[So, yeah, chapter 10. I hope I can continue writing this. I hate writer's blocks.]

I wandered my way home eventually, deep in thought the whole way. I didn't notice how dark it was until I had turned on the lights. I put the tea kettle on the burner and sat down at my table. It was a system, a cycle, one human moves into the town in every year, then just before the next year they are gone. Were they chased out? Were they forced to leave? Did they kill themselves? Were they put in asylums? With the limited info I had, anything could have been a possilbility. So far I knew that the last human here was seeing things, scared, and cautious of everyone in town. I was beggining to suspect everyone in town as well, with those pills and such things. Were there similar outcomes for the other humans? I didn't have time to check the other humans' files that thouroughly.

Just how far did the similarities between Thomas and myself go? What were the similarites I shared with every other human? How many more humans were here before them? It was established that we are all human, but anything else was unkown to me. I'd have to get back into those files to try and find anything more specific. But how could I get back there? With the mayor now wary of me, how could I manage to sneak back in? And I'd imagine that even that guilible pelican would get suspicious of me were I to return again. There was also the matter of finding a way to distract her for a long enough time in order to perform my search.

I had to do something, with the current info, I didn't have many more months until december rolled around. I wanted to know what happened to the rest of the humans on December the 31, but I'd prefer it not to find out the hard way. I trembled at the thought of December coming upon me like how it did the others, it felt like a timer, counting down, an omninous timer that was sitting there quietly, watching me, waiting, counting down until it could do something I didn't know.

I was startled by a high-pitched scream and almost fell off of my seat. My tea kettle began to shake as steam shot out of the small hole, creating the loud noise. I got up feeling slightly embarrased that I had been startled by a tea kettle. I got up, turned off the burner, poured myself a cup of the tea, and returned to my seat.

After a few calming minutes of sipping tea, I cleared my mind and put all that I knew down in front of me. I couldn't draw a conclusion from the limited info I had, so I had to find more info. The town hall case files wouldn't be the best place to return to; the mayor was wary of me and was a lot more bright than that pelican girl. Trying to break back into the record room would be too risky. I would have to find another source of information, a library or something. The village didn't have a library, and the nearest town would be a good distance away. Would I even be able to reach it? Maybe I could pretend I was vacationing.

I thought about it before coming to the conclusion that I wasn't financially stable enough to afford it. I didn't want to risk asking around town since there was clearly something or some things that they didn't want me to know about.

for the next hour I thought, and I thought hard of other options to find information, and if they weren't physically impossible to do, then they were just simply out of reach. I was beginning to get frustrated, and stepped outside for some air. I breathed in the cold, autumn night air and it sent a chill down my spine. I stayed on my porch and kept the door open as not to be in the darkness.

I looked up to see a bright, shining, silver disk peeking over a dark blanket of clouds. The clouds slowly drifted their way through the sky, like a behemoth swiming through the sky, trying to cover the whole moon and stars, trying to engulf the whole world. I began to shiver, and not just from the cold. I put my hands in my pockets, and felt something in one to my surprise, and pulled it out. It was a leaf, a leaf of a computer. I remembered picking it up from the dump and taking it with me. I looked at it with a sense of slight easement, it for some reason calmed me down. It was strange that a computer would do that. Wait a second, _a computer! _It could connect to the internet! I'd be able to complete my reaserch after all.

I rushed back inside and plugged in the machine immediately to a wall outlet. I then realized that I was missing something crucial: a computer moniter. The computer had wires plugged into the back of it, they were screwed in place, and the previous owner probably didn't want to spend the time to remove the wires from the tower itself. It had one that plugged into the wall, and the other had an end that split into two metal prongs. One had yellow rubber around it, the other had white rubber. This computer was useless without a moniter. I felt a sense of grave disappointment.

Exhausted, I went to my tv, at least I still had something to do. I flipped on the little box and began my wrestling match with the bunny ears on top. After I finally getting a clear image, I sat down in front of it. At first, I thought it was some reality tv show since it showed a woman and her twin living in the same house, the older one was married while the younger was single. Being content I sat back and began to relax. But then I started noticing strange things. The sister who was single was living with her sister and her family until she could get back on her feet, or at least that's what the married one thought.

I began to realize that this was in fact a movie, a movie about the single twin sister trying to take her much more successful sister's life. The elder one also seemed to have a fear of snakes. I began to feel uncomfortable with this movie. Then I noticed that the logo of the station at the bottom right was the same logo I saw when I saw that movie with the dog stalking the cat. After I had watched that movie was when I had had that nightmare of Rover trying to kill me. Not eager to have another horror filled night, I quickly got up and pressed the button on the tv that changed the channel. Almost immediately after I pressed it the whole tv shut off.

Slightly annoyed, I pressed the power button, but it didn't turn on. I checked the back of the tv set; it was plugged in, so what was the problem? I grabbed the cable and pulled it out of the power socket. I then plugged it back in, and from the sounds and lights that came from behind, the tv was back on, but my attention had fallen elsewhere by then. On the back of the tv, there were two inputs, one was rimmed with yellow plastic, the other with white plastic. Immediately I grabbed the computer and plugged the coloured cables into their respective colours. I pressed the power button on the tower, and a logo of a tree blinked on the television set. Judging from the discolouration around the edges and the slight warping of the image, it wasn't made to be plugged into an old tv, but that was alright, I could still see its images well.

As the computer booted up, I realized that I still had one more problem: how would I connect to the internet? The computer had a date that read 1998, meaning that a wireless connection wouldn't likely be possible, and even if it were, I didn't have wireless services. I then remembered a phone that was on a desk next to my bed; it had a phone line plugged into it. I came with the house, Nook said that it was part of the standard. It had a direct line to Nook for ordering and such, but it was possible to call other numbers.

I took my computer station up to my bedroom, and set it up on a desk. I then unplugged my phone, and stuck it into the phone jack on the tower. After signing in with the admin account, I immediately clicked the 'internet implorer' logo. A small box opened up on the screen, text appeared on it reading _searching for connection...connection found...calling..._and then the sound of dial up began to whir in a static like fashion. It then opened up to 'foogle' and in a calm excitement I clicked on the search bar.

In my state of happiness I realized that I didn't know what to look for. This was a small town, a small and simple town. The chance of it having an online data base was next to nil. I sat there for a few minutes, trying to think of what to do. I remembered that Tommy was part of several animal groups, some of which would likely have websites. It was a start.

Of the organizations that I could remember, I searched one by one. I searched the first one page by page, looking for anything, a list of members, pictures, hopefully info I could use. After looking through the awards pages, I found that I could search the previous award winners all the way back to four years. I would only need to search through one: last year. I didn't need to look far, in fact, I didn't need to look at all. The monthly awards, nearly all of them, went to Tommy, and they ranged from getting the most young animals adopted, to getting the most out of the small funding, and other such things. Quite the over achiever, wasn't he? I clicked on his name, and it went to a page that held contact info, mailing address, email, and the like. His address was N/A, as was his phone number, and his email, everything.

I went to the next site, and after searching for a while, I finally found his name again. I searched until I found contact info, it was little better. It was almost entirely N/A except for his address, which said he was in Shady town; I supposed that town was real after all. I repeated the process with all of the sites I could find that were of the long list of organizations that Tommy was a part of. I managed to gather little more than what I already had.

I considered not checking the last site, but figured it couldn't hurt. The Animal Equal Treatment Organization was the last one I could remember. I reluctantly typed it in the search bar and then sat back; as if the fact that this venture was of little reward wasn't enough, the dial up internet literally took several minutes to load each page.

As I slowly drudged through each page, I felt a little tired. I'd need to get some sleep soon. I found Thomas Doe, and clicked on it, surprise, no useful info. I pressed backspace, and was about to press the power button, but as the page returned to a list of member names I noticed something. Underneath Thomas Doe was someone named Whitney Doe. Faint memory of reading of one named Whitney in the town files came to mind. Interested, I clicked.

As the picture showed up, I felt a slight queeziness in my stomach. I remembered that this wolf was Tommy's girlfriend, a wolf, was dating a human. It seemed by the last name that it went further than dating as well. I began to look at the listed info on her as well, it seemed she also quite the go getter, she had accolades and the like, and it listed that she was no longer an active member. Though it seemed to have a mailing address as well, and to my surprise, it was in Shady town. A moment of realization hit me in the face. I don't know why I didn't think that Shady town was a real place, even after finding every site listing it, it sounded like a fantasy, almost like how this Thomas person felt. But now, it was real, a real person was also there, but where was there?

With my mind now full of new questions, I turned off the computer, got dressed in my night gown, and then tried to sleep, but thoughts constantly shook me awake. I tried to subdue them, tried to chase them away, but they'd always return. I laid in my bed, tossing and turning like a wave. My eyes were heavy, to the point of them stinging in irritation whenever I tried to open them, but an even heavier weight was on me, one that insured no sleep.

Much to the torment of my eyes, I looked up to my clock: 2:34 AM. It was just after 10:00 PM when I got ready for bed. I sat up, my eyes still closed, the stinging feeling like I was in a room full of freshly chopped onions. I stood and walked my way over to my window; a pale moon stood above the trees in the ebony night sky, staring down at me, wondering why I was still awake in the dead of the night.

The thought hit me, a question more like. I was afraid to answer it, but it wouldn't let me rest until I did. Could I go to that town? Could I make the trip? Would Whitney even be there? Would Tommy be there? Was the strange happenings that had happened to me just coincidence? Did Tommy just go a little estranged and move? Maybe to start a new life, A new leaf so to speak? I could go to that town, and look for them, the two of them. I moved here to start over, but I question myself of whether or not this place is for me. Maybe Tommy thought the same and moved again?

If they were still living together, that contradict the files from this town which stated that Tommy had distanced himself from her. Maybe they made up? But then how would all these things be happening to me? It couldn't be random.

I had so many questions, and only one way to get an answer. I'd make a trip to go to Shady; I'd have to plan the day, and how I'd make my search and approach. I couldn't just wing it in an unknown city and hope to find them, and even if I did I'd have to have some explanation why I was looking for them and questioning them.

I looked back at the clock, 2:46, I had to get some rest before I did anything. As I sat back on my bed, I wondered if I even would be able to sleep. I lay my head on my pillow, my eyes then closed as if they had a will of their own. It seems even a troubled mind can't keep a tired body awake for long.

I stopped as my next destination came into view on the calm autumn morning. Despite the cool air I felt a bead forming on my head; my last visit to the Able sisters' shop had been less than reasurring. I had had it all planned out, for the past few days I had to set things up for my trip. I had it carefully planned and timed. I didn't tell any of the animals of my little 'vacation' I couldn't risk it. The one thing that was in my way of it continuing was in the Ables' shop.

I took a breath and continued my way to the little shop of horrors. Able had said to stay away for a while, I hope it had been a long enough while. The three little steps that led to the door looked like trip wire, and the door was the trap. I reluctantly walked up them and reached out my hand, as if to a ravenous animal, and I tried to grab the handle. My insides began to churn and twist with the handle when I twisted it open.

I opened the door to stark contrasting welcome to when I had first done so. I stood there with the knob in my hand, and the Ables stared back at me, astonished. We stood there in that awkward silence for several minutes before I broke the silence.

"Uh...Hi..." I said nervously. The two Ables looked at one another simultaneously as if to confirm that what was happening was real before responding.

"Um, welcome?" Said Mable. I opened my mouth to respond to try and prevent the awkward silence, but nothing came out. As my mind began to search for words, Sable's arms wrapped around me tightly and squeezed.

Afterwards, we all sat down and began to talk. I was especially surprised since it was working hours. Mable put up a sign on the door that read "Out to lunch"Sable even turned off her machine. Sable grabbed the coffee table that they used for breakfast.

"So...you're sure you're doing alright?" Asked Sable, her worriedly clutching my right hand like a concerned mother. Even though her tone was still very shy and she was still being quiet, I was surprised that she was being so (relatively) open.

"Yes, I'm fine." I said, glad and happy that Sable was back to normal.

"Oh, there you go again, sis." Mable said jeeringly at Sable. "That's the third time you've asked her." She turned to me. "I haven't been able to leave the room and come back without her asking me if I had seen you and if you were alright all week."

"Mable, don't." Sable pleaded; Mable laughed.

"Ah, don't be shy about it." She assured Sable before turning to me. "I've never seen her so attached to someone before, well minus myself."

"Wow, really?" I was surprised that Sable had seen me in such a light.

"Ask her yourself." Mable said, as she turned to Sable with a sly smile. Sable suddenly became the center of attention; she didn't like it.

"Uh...S-so, Ai, what are you looking for?" Sable said, passing the potato to me.

"Huh?" 

"Surely you must be looking for something, right? A hat? A dress?" Mable looked surprised that she didn't think of that sooner. Both of the sisters then turned towards me.

"Well, I mainly wanted to stop and say hi..." That was a lie.

"Oh, alright then." Mable said as she stood up. "Well, it was great to see you again, alive and well. We'll need be getting back to work." She nodded at Sable and then they both got up. "If you need anything you'll know where we are." Mable said as she smiled brightly. I headed toward the door as if to leave, but then stopped as my hand was on the knob.

"Actually, there is one thing I was curious about." As said as if an afterthought. Both Ables looked up to me in curiousity.

"I heard that you rent out sewing kits. Is that true?"

"Why, yes it is, would you be interested in renting one?" Mable said.

"Yes I would."

"Alright then, rental fees are 350 bells." After I paid her she grabbed a dusty looking box that had a handle and blew it off. "These aren't rented too often as you can see." She lifted it up and handed it to me, and when she let go it nearly brought me to the floor. The weight especially surprised me because Mable seemed to be able to lift it without a problem.

"Wow, it's really heavy."

"Yeah, it's one of our older services, so it used older equipment. But it should still be easy to use if you used Sable's machine." She gave a wink. "I'm glad to see you aren't letting your talents go to waste."

"Heh, thanks."

"There's no time limit or anything, just bring it back when you're done."

"Will, do." I said as I struggled to pull the box to the door. After a few seconds of no sounds except my exertive grunts, Mable grabbed hold of the handle.

"Here, let me help you with that." After she took me a few paces from the front of the door, she placed the case on the ground. "Be sure to lift with your knees."

"Okay." I said, tired already. As I began to try and lift the case, I heard Sable's voice.

"Take care, Ai. Be careful." She said, evidently saddened by this departure. I turned back towards her with a face of endearment, she was so precious.

"I will, Sable. Don't work too hard."

"I'll be lucky to get her off of her machine by midnight." Replied Mable, her tone suggesting that she wasn't etirely joking.

After the final farewells, they went back inside, the open sign now on their door. I, with great strain, managed to lift the case off of the ground, and began walking funny with it between my knees. After a while I dropped it again as it began to hurt my back. I tried lifting it on my shoulder; sure if I can carry and unconcious dog on my shoulder, I could carry a I could, but not for very long, only to where it felt like my arm would tear from its shoulder socket.

I continued trying to find different ways to carry the worlds heaviest case, only to figure that I was actually finding new pains, aches, and sores across my body. After what seemed like forever I stopped and sat on the case, panting heavily, and sweating profusely. Every muscle was aching, even in places I didn't know you could get sore muscles. I looked up to the trees, at this rate, I'd never make it home before dark.

As I began considering just opening the case where I was and working in the open field, Chief came across and offered to carry it for me to my house. As we were walking along the path I looked up to the sky, it was pretty cloudy, only spots of sky were visible.

"So, what's with the case? You aren't moving are you?" I was taken by surprise. Chief had never been the first to break the silence. I also think I heard a bit of concern in his tone. He carried the 1Ton case on one shoulder.

"Huh? Oh, no. It's a rental sewing kit from the Able's"

"They do those?"

"Yeah. Though I guess it's not a very well known service."

"Hm, never picked you for th' sewing type."

"I'm not, well, until recently."

"What're you making?" I stammered; I couldn't tell anyone what I was using this for, it had to to with my plan.

"Uh...it's a secret." I said with a nervous chuckle. Chief noticed.

"Secret, huh?" A few seconds silence caused me to begin to worry. My face began to heat up, nervous that he would inquire further. "Well, I suppose it's none of my business."

"Wh-what? Really?"

"Well, yeah. If you want to keep a secret, it's up to you who you want to speak it to." Chief spoke as if stating common sense (because it really should've been). I was surprised at how easily Chief dropped his curiosity of the subject; it had almost become second nature to keep secrets from the rest of the village because it seemed everyone was suspicious; they'd inquire, pry, and behave in a way that suggested a secret agenda of their own, but Chief seemed calm, mellow...normal.

A tension that had been around me in even the most peaceful of times in this town had eased a little. I suddenly felt a little more comfortable around this wolf than anyone else in this mysterious town of fear and secrets. In relief I looked up to the evening sky, the clouds cleared some, and revealed a red, yellow, and orange painting across the heavens. Autumn always had the best evening skies, it made me feel tranquil.

I had felt this sense so little since I had moved here, like I didn't need to look over my shoulder. I looked at Chief, it was strange how the smallest of actions from someone says the most about them. I wanted to show my appreciation to him somehow. I then noticed that tattered pink-and-white stripped shirt he seemed to always wear. Just as my thoughts began to delve into what I could do, Chief spoke.

"That your house?" He pointed his free paw towards a house that was coming up, and surely enough, it was mine.

"Uh, yeah, that's the one." I answered, kinda disappointed that the walk was over already. I opened the front door and Chief carried the case inside. I followed and placed my finger on the light switch, then remembering the cluttered mess and makeshift fort that was my house, I hesitated.

"Hey, Ai, I could used some light." He said after there was a sound of things being bumped into and knocked down. I reluctantly flipped the switch, and illuminated my current living conditions to yet another villager. When the lights turned on, Chief navigated his way between furniture and placed the case down on a clear spot on the ground. He then casually looked around for a few seconds before returning attention to me. "If you need help unpacking, I'm free all night, y'know." He said in his nonchalant manner.

"N-no, it's alright." I said, trying to hide my embarresment. "I'm...I _am _unpacked." I said. The wolf's eyes then widened in surprise. I needed to get started on my secret project immediately.

"Oh...Okay." He said, giving the interior another glance through, this time with an estranged look. "I guess...I guess I'll just be going then." As he approached the door, I surprised him yet again. I wrapped my arms around the large wolf's body and held tightly. His fur felt warm, and soft...and kinda prickly since the hug caught him so off guard that all of his fur bushed up. After a few more moments I said.

"Thank you, Chief." Then I continued to bury my face in his fur. After a few seconds, he awkwardly patted me on the head..

"Y...You're welcome." He forced himself to say before holding me at arms length. "*_Ahem* _" He cleared his throat and brushed down his fur. "Well..." He said, not being able to look directly at me. "Let's not do that again anytime soon." He continued as he looked around for any invisible viewers. "See ya later." And he was gone. I didn't know what had come over me, to hug him like that, but I was glad that if anything, he broke new waters tonight.

I was reminded of my purpose as I saw the case. I walked over, and opened the case, and in it was an old, metal, rusty sewing machine, and some thread of all of the basic colours. As I pulled out the large, heavy machine hoping I wouldn't pull a muscle, I glanced over to a mess of papers on the floor. After I made my way towards it, I tried my best to place the machine down without breaking the floorboards. _BUMP! _I nearly dropped it, but the floor appeared to be undamaged. After a few breathes, I grabbed one of the papers off of the floor.

On this paper was a sketchy drawing of the side and front view of coat and a skirt, a formal coat and skirt. Among the other papers were detailed sketches, like the other, with notes and measurements made precisely to look as close to the real thing of which they were based off of. I had used pictures I found off of the site to determine what sort of uniforms they wore. I had been _real _busy for the last couple days.

The key piece had a sheet of paper all to its own; a logo made that showed a shape that was like a human, filled entirely with white, and next to him was a similar shape, except this shapes head resembled a dogs, and was coloured entirely black. The two abstract figures were standing shoulder to shoulder, shaking hands and the human had his free hand around the animal's shoulder. They both were looking towards the viewer, they shared an eye in the middle, the intersecting shapes made a grey tint. Underneath this image was an acronymn that read. _A.E.T.O _which stood for _Animal Equal Treatment Organization. _

I then began my work, studying the papers very closely. I looked at the time, 8:49 PM, I had less time than expected, I'd need to work faster.

[Well, there ya go, the 10th chapter is finished, on to the next. :)]


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